frth-gnrtn prgrmmng lngg (4GL) s hgh-lvl cmptr prgrmmng lngg tht blngs t clss f lnggs nvsnd s n dvncmnt pn thrd-gnrtn prgrmmng lnggs (3GL). ch f th prgrmmng lngg gnrtns ms t prvd hghr lvl f bstrctn f th ntrnl cmptr hrdwr dtls, mkng th lngg mr prgrmmr-frndly, pwrfl, nd vrstl. Whl th dfntn f 4GL hs chngd vr tm, t cn b typfd by prtng mr wth lrg cllctns f nfrmtn t nc rthr thn fcsng n jst bts nd byts. Lnggs clmd t b 4GL my ncld spprt fr dtbs mngmnt, rprt gnrtn, mthmtcl ptmztn, grphcl sr ntrfc (G) dvlpmnt, r wb dvlpmnt. Sm rsrchrs stt tht 4GLs r sbst f dmn-spcfc lnggs.
Th cncpt f 4GL ws dvlpd frm th 1970s thrgh th 1990s, vrlppng mst f th dvlpmnt f 3GL, wth 4GLs dntfd s "nn-prcdrl" r "prgrm-gnrtng" lnggs, cntrstd wth 3GLs bng lgrthmc r prcdrl lnggs. Whl 3GLs lk C, C++, C#, Jv, nd JvScrpt rmn pplr fr wd vrty f ss, 4GLs s rgnlly dfnd fnd ss fcsd n dtbss, rprts, nd wbsts. Sm dvncd 3GLs lk Pythn, Rby, nd Prl cmbn sm 4GL blts wthn gnrl-prps 3GL nvrnmnt, nd lbrrs wth 4GL-lk ftrs hv bn dvlpd s dd-ns fr mst pplr 3GLs, prdcng lnggs tht r mx f 3GL nd 4GL, blrrng th dstnctn.
n th 1980s nd 1990s, thr wr ffrts t dvlp ffth-gnrtn prgrmmng lnggs (5GL).