Meanings
nounperfect fourth (plural perfect fourths)
plural perfect fourths
- A musical interval spanning four degrees of the diatonic scale. In the Western twelve-semitone system, it consists of five standard semitones.
The perfect fourth has a pitch ratio close to 4:3.
Synonyms: P4
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA musical interval spanning four degrees of the diatonic scale. In the Western twelve-semitone system, it consists of five standard semitones.
Similar
P4
Origin
The word perfect refers to intervals that are neither major nor minor.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek συλλαβή
- συλλαβή (sullabḗ)Translations
Cite this entry
APA
perfect fourth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfect%20fourth
MLA
“perfect fourth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfect%20fourth. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perfect fourth,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perfect%20fourth.
Source: perfect fourth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.