fortnight

American  

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

noun

• fortnights
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fortnights
  plural

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

See Examples For:

fortnight fortnights

Fast forward a fortnight amid some very rapid and painful deleveraging, and the index now stands at 6813 after a stealth rally of 21%.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

But it wasn't until about a fortnight ago that he went through some of the books in greater detail.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Even a fortnight ago, it was estimated that 1 in 30 Korean adults had experienced a margin call.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

It is understood that Howe communicated his intention to leave to the Newcastle hierarchy around a fortnight ago.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

But there was still a fortnight to go before he went back to school.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Shefte: Indeed, the first two fortnights are dark and full of terrors.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2023

If during this fortnight of fortnights, you pass at midday through Wimbledon Park, cloaked behind trees across Church Road from the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, you might sense only mild rowdiness.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 9, 2017

I’ll get used to it, probably in the next few fortnights or so.

From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2016

“Eleven-day fortnights, 16-hour days, pages and pages of dialogue.”

From The Guardian ● Apr. 23, 2016

And, after all, what does it matter if for one fortnight out of all the fortnights there are in a year you are not so clean as usual?

From The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rügen by Elizabeth von Arnim