4th

4th — noun

1. the US holiday on July 4 when people mark the country's birth as an independent

1.nounB1
Definition

the US holiday on July 4 when people mark the country's birth as an independent nation

Example

Mina bought red, white, and blue lights for the 4th.

for the 4th as a holiday-preparation phrase

Our town holds a parade on the 4th before the fireworks.

on the 4th for the holiday itself

Common collocations
  • celebrate the 4th
  • on the 4th
  • 4th parade
  • 4th fireworks
  • 4th weekend
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

for the 4th

on the 4th

celebrate the 4th

Usage Note

Usually written with 'the' and understood in the US as short for 'the Fourth of July'. Outside American contexts, speakers more often say the full holiday name or simply the date.

Common Mistakes

We have a picnic on 4th.
We have a picnic on the 4th.
This holiday sense normally takes 'the' before the numeral.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'The 4th' is a short, casual American way to refer to the July 4 holiday. 'The Fourth of July' is the full everyday name and works in both speech and writing. 'Independence Day' is the official name and sounds more formal, especially in news reports, school programs, and government contexts.

the 4ththe Fourth of JulyIndependence Day

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • celebrate the 4th
  • the 4th of July
  • 4th weekend

Prepositions

  • for the 4th
  • on the 4th

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

4th is the numeral spelling of 'fourth', from Old English forms for 'the one after third'. In American English, 'the 4th' became a common short way to mean the July 4 holiday, with the date standing in for the celebration itself.