Four-wheel drive is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously.

It is often abbreviated as 4WD (four wheel drive), 4x4 (four by four), or AWD ("all wheel drive").

Most people associate the term 4x4 with off-road vehicles. Having all four wheels receive engine torque makes it possible to go off-road with a vehicle and have some fun in places that other vehicles can not go.

In abbreviations such as 4x4, the first figure is normally taken as the total number of wheels and the second is normally taken as the number of powered wheels.

There are all kinds of 4x4 vehicles that are made for different types of off-road experiences.

For instance some are made for basic and easy off-road trails while others are especially equipped for mudding or water running and other specialty types of 4x4 activities.