Fourth Estate
/ˌfɔːrθ ɪˈsteɪt/noun
The press or news media, regarded as an influential social institution alongside government and other established powers.
Did you know?Thomas Carlyle popularized the phrase in 1840 after describing the press gallery in Parliament as a fourth power beside the traditional three estates of society.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷetwóres
“Four; the reconstructed root behind English four and related counting words.”
Old English
Old English
fēorða
“Fourth; the ordinal form of four.”
Latin
Latin
status
“A standing, position, condition, or rank.”
Old French
Old French
estat
“Condition, rank, social order, or political class.”
14th Century
Middle English
estaat
“A social rank or order, as well as condition, property, or wealth.”
1840
English
Fourth Estate
“Thomas Carlyle’s term for the press as a fourth influential social power after the traditional three estates.”