diminished fourth

noun

A musical interval made by narrowing a perfect fourth by one chromatic semitone. In twelve-tone equal temperament, it consists of four semitones, spans four degrees of the diatonic scale, and is enharmonically equivalent to a major third.

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Meanings

noundiminished fourth (plural diminished fourths)

plural diminished fourths

  1. entertainmentA musical interval made by narrowing a perfect fourth by one chromatic semitone. In twelve-tone equal temperament, it consists of four semitones, spans four degrees of the diatonic scale, and is enharmonically equivalent to a major third.
Cite this entry
APA

diminished fourth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diminished%20fourth

MLA

“diminished fourth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diminished%20fourth. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “diminished fourth,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diminished%20fourth.

Source: diminished fourth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.