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

Her Easter sermon comes just shy of a fortnight after her installation as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, during which she said her teenage self could "never have imagined the future that lay ahead".

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

When Sofii Lewis packed a bag for a mother and baby mental health unit, she thought she would be home within a fortnight.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Those 62 hours between Galatasaray and Brighton are gone and it is now about the next fortnight, where most of the Liverpool players will be on international duty.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

For a typical mortgage, that means a five-year fixed deal is now £651 more expensive than a fortnight ago, Moneyfacts said.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

"Less than a fortnight past, they fought a battle in the hills below the Golden Tooth," Robb said.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin