Fourth Estate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While the news media is sometimes referred to as the fourth estate, alongside the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, few think of stand-up comedy as a pillar of democracy.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

With it, however, comes a more uncertain question of what our “mainstream media” really will look like going forward and how the fourth estate will challenge those in power.

From Slate • Aug. 27, 2024

Clooney said he wanted to make a movie to let people hear some “really well-written words about the fourth estate again.”

From Seattle Times • May 13, 2024

The press is called the fourth estate - they are very powerful, they can make or break a person.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2023

Rumour-mongers are the original fourth estate, journalists who inform society about and thus protect it from cheats and freeloaders.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari