biannual

American  

[bahy-an-yoo-uhl] / baɪˈæn yu əl /

adjective

1. occurring twice a year; semiannual.

2. occurring every two years; biennial.

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biannual British  

/ baɪˈænjʊəl /

adjective

1. occurring twice a year Compare biennial

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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

• biannually adverb

Etymology

Origin of biannual

First recorded in 1875–80; bi- ¹ + annual

Compare meaning

How does biannual compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• biannual vs. semiannual

Example Sentences

Other initiatives by ExpressVPN are too numerous to list here, but you can read its biannual transparency report for more information.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

It was initially a counterpoint to the Pusser museum’s biannual official bus tour, though this year’s was postponed amid the fallout from the TBI investigation.

From Slate • Nov. 6, 2025

Teens reported spending about $2,213 this year, 6% less than a year ago, according to Piper Sandler’s biannual “Taking Stock With Teens” survey.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

Though he did not go into detail, Newsom said additional accountability would be through “a framework of expectation and reporting that would no longer be at a quarterly or biannual basis but a monthly basis.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2024

He normally came to the island on biannual inspections.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• semiannual