1. The problem asks to find the degree of the polynomial \(3x^2 - x - 4\). 2. The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable \(x\) in the expression. 3. In the polynomial \(3x^2 - x - 4\), the powers of \(x\) are 2, 1, and 0 respectively. 4. The highest power is \(2\), so the degree of the polynomial is \(2\). **Final answer:** The degree of the polynomial \(3x^2 - x - 4\) is \(2\).