fortnight

American  

[fawrt-nahyt, -nit] / ˈfɔrtˌnaɪt, -nɪt /

noun

1. the space of fourteen nights and days; two weeks.

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fortnight British  

/ ˈfɔːtˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a period of 14 consecutive days; two weeks

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Etymology

Origin of fortnight

First recorded before 1000; Middle English fourtenight, contraction of Old English fēowertēne niht; see fourteen, night

Explanation

A fortnight is fourteen nights, or two weeks. This word isn't used much in American English, but you'll come across it if you travel to England — or read a lot of old British novels. The word fortnight is still in use in Great Britain and some former British colonies. It comes from the Old English, and is literally a shortened form of fourteen nights. People sometimes use it when they're discussing their vacations or their pay schedules. In the United States, however, people typically just say "two weeks."

Example Sentences

It was at the Fortnight where Sean Byrne’s “Dangerous Animals” became the first shark film to ever screen during Cannes, and this unconventional locale is quietly befitting of the movie’s atypical premise and exciting execution.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2025

She thanked Post Malone, who featured on Fortnight, and her fans for voting for her.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2024

“I was surprised and elated when my first film, ‘THX-1138,’ was selected to be shown in a new program for first time directors called the Directors’ Fortnight.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2024

The Money gang talks Disney’s Fortnight and Taylor Swift investments, why NYCB’s loss is renters’ gain, and the comeback of the SAT.

From Slate • Feb. 10, 2024

On the 20th of July 1763, a middle aged Woman, Elizabeth Hosier, was admitted into St. George’s Hospital for a Jaundice, which came about a Fortnight before.

From An Account of the Diseases which were most frequent in the British military hospitals in Germany by Monro, Donald