Of the fourth rate or class: specifically, formerly, the rating of a vessel carrying from 50 to70 guns.
The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)
Use "fourth-rate" in a sentence
"Third - and fourth-rate writers settle for careers."
"Kit Corrigan is a gem in a lousy setting, a scorching redhead who can dance like a dream but who is stuck in the chorus line of a fourth-rate musical."
"They predicted that these schools are "for the most part, likely to remain fourth-rate institutions at the tail end of the academic procession.""