biannual
Americanadjective
Usage
What does biannual mean? Biannual can mean two things: occurring once every two years or occurring twice per year. Biannual is a synonym of biyearly, which can also be used to mean every two years or twice per year. (Biyearly can also mean “lasting for two years,” but this meaning is rarely used.)The adverb form of biannual is biannually. Examples:
- The Olympic Games are biannual, meaning they happen every two years.
- This is a biannual meeting—we have it in April and October.
Commonly Confused
See bi- 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of biannual
Compare meaning
How does biannual compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Use biannual to describe something that happens two times a year. Cleaning out the garage may be a biannual project in your household, or your dentist might insist on biannual check-ups. When you break apart the word biannual, it’s easy to remember what it means. The prefix bi-, meaning “two,” tips you off that this is something that happens twice. And you’re probably already familiar with annual, which describes something that happens once a year. Put it together and you have biannual: twice a year. Whether you’re describing formal events or the frequency of your haircuts, you can use biannual anytime you need to say that something happens twice a year.
Vocabulary lists containing biannual
Ides, Eon, Epoch, and Era: Time-related Words
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List 5
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bi-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But see you in 2021 for the inevitable Biannual Jeremy Renner App Catastrophe.
From The Guardian • Sep. 5, 2019
Biannual assessments conducted from 1990 to 2010 found that half of all listed species were continuing to decline despite their status.
From Slate • Jul. 19, 2018
Biannual garden tours have been a White House tradition since Pat Nixon first welcomed visitors to the property in 1972, exposing a rich narrative of design.
From Architectural Digest • Oct. 17, 2014
Biannual exhibitions will complement shows at the Louvre in Paris.
From New York Times • Jan. 11, 2013
Biannual aerial surveys conducted over the huge Niassa Reserve in northern Mozambique since 1998 point to a disturbing trend, for example.
From Scientific American • Apr. 24, 2012
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
