fourth

fourth — ordinal number

1. the word for the number 4 when you are showing the position of something in a li

1.ordinal numberA1
Definition

the word for the number 4 when you are showing the position of something in a list, series, or order; written as 4th.

Example

My room is on the fourth floor of the house.

the fourth [noun] for position

Today is the fourth day of this month.

Common collocations
  • fourth floor
  • fourth grade
  • fourth place
  • fourth time
  • fourth of July
  • fourth day
Synonyms
  • 4th

    the same meaning written as a numeral; common in notes, lists, and signs

Grammar Patterns

the fourth [noun]

fourth [noun] (no article — e.g. fourth place)

the fourth of [month]

Common Mistakes

He came four in the race.
He came fourth in the race.
Use 'fourth' (not the number 'four') to show position or rank.
She is fourth years old.
She is four years old.
Use the number 'four' for age, not the ordinal 'fourth'.

fourth — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words refer to one of four equal parts, but they differ in register and context. 'Quarter' is by far the most common in everyday speech in both British and American English ('Please give me a quarter of the cake'). 'Fourth' is more common in formal, mathematical, or technical writing ('a fourth of the population'), and in American English it appears more often in fractions ('three fourths') than in British English, where 'three quarters' is standard. 'One-fourth' is the most formal option and appears almost exclusively in written mathematics or official documents. For a learner, 'quarter' is the safest choice in ordinary conversation.

quarter ↗fourth ↗one-fourth

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fourth floor
  • fourth grade
  • fourth place
  • fourth time
  • fourth of July
  • fourth position

Phrases

  • the fourth of [month]
  • a fourth of [something]
  • three fourths of

Prepositions

  • in fourth (music)
  • on the fourth (dates)
  • by a fourth

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'fourth' comes from Old English 'feorða', which is formed from 'fēower' (four) plus the ordinal suffix '-ða'. It has been used as an ordinal number since before the 12th century. The spelling changed over time from 'feorða' to 'fourth' under the influence of the word 'four'. Related words in other Germanic languages include German 'vierte' and Dutch 'vierde'.