Phrase guide

fourth person

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A variety of the third person sometimes used for indefinite referents, such as one, as in one shouldn't do that.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

grammatical person in some languages distinct from first, second, and third persons, semantically translated by one of them in English. For example, in Ojibwe, it is a variety of the third person used for a secondary, or obviative, third person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • The man saw the dog as he was leaving. (if he is the third person, or proximate, it refers to the man; if he is the fourth person, or obviative, it refers to the dog)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: четвърто лице (četvǎrto lice) — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Dutch: vierde persoon — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • French: quatrième personne — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Galician: cuarta persoa — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Georgian: მეოთხე პირი (meotxe ṗiri) — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Japanese: 四人称 (yoninshō) — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Polish: czwarta osoba — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Portuguese: quarta pessoa — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Russian: четвёртое лицо́ (četvjórtoje licó) — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Spanish: cuarta persona — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Swedish: fjärde person — person distinct from first, second, and third persons
  • Vietnamese: ngôi thứ tư — person distinct from first, second, and third persons