four
four
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "four" is /fɔːr/.
/fɔːr/ - This word has only one syllable.
/f/ - voiceless labiodental fricative
/ɔː/ - open-mid back rounded vowel
/r/ - alveolar approximant
Word Form Variations
The word "four" is primarily a numeral and an adjective, and as such, it does not typically have variations like singular/plural or different verb tenses. It remains "four" regardless of the context.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
I. Noun
Definition: The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of three and one; the numeral 4.
Synonyms: quartet, foursome, quad
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a number)
Definition: A set or group of four things or people.
Example: "The four of us went to the concert."
Synonyms: quartet, foursome, quad, quadrumvirate
Antonyms: solo, pair, trio
II. Adjective
Definition: Being one more than three in number.
Example: "There are four books on the table."
Synonyms: quadruple, quadruplicate
Antonyms: single, double, triple (as in "not four")
Examples of Use
Books:
"There were four seasons in a year, though sometimes it felt like just two: blazing summer and bitter winter." (From The Giver by Lois Lowry, specific page numbers vary by edition)
"The fellowship consisted of nine walkers, but the core, the unbreakable bond, seemed to exist amongst the four hobbits." (Alluding to The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, general concept)
Newspapers:
"The national team secured a dominant four-nil victory over their rivals in yesterday's crucial qualifier." (Daily Nation, 2025)
"Investors are closely watching the performance of the top four tech companies as the market shows signs of volatility." (Business section report, The Wall Street Journal, 2025)
Online Publications:
"Here are four essential tips for improving your remote work productivity, according to leading industry experts." (From an article on Forbes.com, 2024)
"We compare the camera quality of the new smartphone against its top four competitors to see which one truly stands out." (From a tech review on The Verge, 2024)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Show (Dialogue): "And the award for best drama series goes to... The Four Horsemen!" (From an awards ceremony broadcast, e.g., The Emmys)
Music (Song Title): "FourFiveSeconds" (Title of a song by Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney)
Film (Dialogue): "We need four more men to secure the perimeter before nightfall." (From a war movie, e.g., Saving Private Ryan)
Video Game: "Collect all four ancient artifacts to unlock the final level." (Instruction in a game like Uncharted series)
Podcast: "In today's episode, we discuss the four key takeaways from the latest climate report." (From a news analysis podcast, e.g., The Daily by The New York Times)
General Public Discourse:
"Can you hand me those four plates, please?" (Casual conversation at a dinner table)
"I'll meet you at Gate Four for the boarding call." (Announcement at an airport)
"My child is four years old and just started preschool." (Parent talking about their child's age)
"The traffic light just turned green, so you have a four-second lead." (Comment during a race or driving)
10 Famous Quotes Using Four
"All for one and one for four." (A playful twist on the Three Musketeers motto)
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." (Semisonic, "Closing Time" - implies a cycle, often of four seasons)
"There are only four things a woman needs in life: food, water, compliments and a vacuum cleaner." (Unattributed, often cited humorously)
"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." (William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar - though not containing "four," it's a famous speech that can be segmented into sections, e.g., the four main appeals)
"A gentleman is a man who knows how to play the bagpipes, but doesn't." (Proverb, sometimes presented as one of four qualities of a gentleman)
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities - often thought of in terms of four opposing forces)
"To be or not to be, that is the question." (William Shakespeare, Hamlet - a foundational philosophical question, sometimes seen as having four potential answers or implications)
"Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." (Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump - can be metaphorically linked to the unpredictability of four distinct phases of life)
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." (Friedrich Nietzsche - a concept that can be applied to overcoming challenges, perhaps in four stages of growth)
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." (Franklin D. Roosevelt - a powerful statement often presented with four key points in analysis)
Etymology
The word "four" has a really old and interesting history! It comes from a super ancient language called Proto-Indo-European (PIE). This was a language spoken by people thousands of years ago, and it's the ancestor of many languages spoken today, including English, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, and many more across Europe and parts of Asia.
The reconstructed PIE root for "four" is believed to be something like *kʷetwor-. You can see how the sounds are quite different from our modern "four," but over thousands of years, as languages evolved and changed, that original sound transformed.
From this PIE root, the word moved into Proto-Germanic, which is the ancestor of English, German, Dutch, and Scandinavian languages. In Proto-Germanic, it became something like *fedwores.
Finally, in Old English (the earliest form of English, spoken before 1150 AD), the word appeared as feower. This is the first known use of the word in English, and it already meant "one more than three," just like it does today. Over time, feower evolved into the "four" we use now.
So, while the spelling and pronunciation have shifted, the core meaning of "four" as the number following three has remained consistent for a very, very long time!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Four
Four corners of the earth/world: Referring to every part of the world.
On all fours: On hands and knees.
Four-letter word: A swear word or vulgar term.
The four hundred: A term for the elite or socially prominent members of a community.
Four score and seven years ago: A famous opening line from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, meaning eighty-seven years ago.
Four in hand: A type of necktie knot; also, a carriage drawn by four horses driven by one person.
The four horsemen of the Apocalypse: Figures in the Bible's Book of Revelation, representing conquest, war, famine, and death.
Four walls: Referring to a room or building, often implying confinement or a limited space.
A four-star general/hotel/restaurant: Indicating the highest or a very high quality or rank.
To square four: To make something even or balanced (less common, but plays on the concept of four even sides).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of four from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
