fourteenth

IPA/ˌfɔːˈtiːnθ/
KK[fˌɔrtˈinθ]IPA/ˌfɔːrˈtiːnθ/

fourteenth — adjective

  • fourteenthpositive
  • more fourteenthcomparative
  • most fourteenthsuperlative

1. placed before a noun to show that the noun is number 14 in a numbered series or

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

placed before a noun to show that the noun is number 14 in a numbered series or order.

Example

The fourteenth chapter of the novel reveals the detective's secret past.

the fourteenth + noun in a series

Feng celebrated his fourteenth birthday at his favourite Korean restaurant with close friends.

possessive + fourteenth + noun

Common collocations
  • fourteenth birthday
  • fourteenth floor
  • fourteenth century
  • fourteenth chapter
  • fourteenth time

Grammar Patterns

the fourteenth + noun

possessive + fourteenth + noun

Usage Note

As an adjective, 'fourteenth' always comes directly before the noun it describes. It is the most common use of the word, appearing frequently in addresses, dates, age references, and sequential listings.

Common Mistakes

He lives on floor fourteenth.
He lives on the fourteenth floor.
in English, the ordinal adjective comes before the noun, not after.

2. equal to one part of something that has been split into fourteen equal parts, pl

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

equal to one part of something that has been split into fourteen equal parts, placed before a noun to describe a fractional amount.

Example

The fourteen business partners each received a fourteenth share of the company's annual profit.

a fourteenth share of + noun

The fourteen grandchildren each inherited a fourteenth share of their grandmother's farm in Portugal.

Common collocations
  • fourteenth share
  • fourteenth part
  • fourteenth portion

Grammar Patterns

a fourteenth + noun

the fourteenth + noun

fourteenth — noun

fourteenth — ordinal number

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While 'fourteenth' marks the position immediately after thirteenth in a sequence, 'fourth' refers to the much earlier position after third — these ordinals sit far apart on any numbered list and cannot substitute for one another. 'Fourteen' is the cardinal (quantity) form, not an ordinal: 'fourteen floors' means the building has that many storeys, whereas 'the fourteenth floor' pins down which specific storey you mean. 'Fortieth' is ordinal number forty and belongs further down a sequence. The safest rule: use 'fourteenth' only when you intend the position 14 in an ordered count, and pair it with 'the' before a noun (the fourteenth day) or omit the article after a linking verb (she arrived fourteenth).

fourth ↗fourteen ↗fortieth

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the fourteenth of
  • on the fourteenth

Prepositions

  • on the fourteenth
  • of the fourteenth

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Fourteenth comes from Old English 'fēowertēoða', a combination of 'fēower' (four) and '-tēoða' (tenth), following the Germanic pattern for forming ordinal numbers. The modern spelling with 'our' reflects French influence after the Norman Conquest, while the '-teenth' suffix (from Old English '-tēoða') marks it as a teen ordinal — one of the numbers from thirteen to nineteen.