four-letter

adjective

four-let·​ter ˈfȯr-ˈle-tər How to pronounce four-letter (audio)
: of, relating to, or being four-letter words

Examples of four-letter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Enforcement is a four-letter word to progressives, and a crucial part of keeping businesses in business. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 23 Dec. 2025 Ford, who is thirty-six, barrel-chested, and bearded, with a propensity for four-letter words, said, laughing. Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025 José Escobar, another ambassador leader, shared his disgust of ICE with a four-letter epithet. Charlotte Observer, 24 Nov. 2025 Gas cars ‘no longer a four-letter word’ Rather than going all-in on all-electric cars, automakers are focusing on hybrid-vehicles that have both electric motors and internal combustion engines (ICE). Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for four-letter

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of four-letter was in 1897

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Cite this Entry

“Four-letter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/four-letter. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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