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Synonyms

fortnight

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

noun

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


fortnight British  
/ ˈfɔːtˌnaɪt /

noun

  1. a period of 14 consecutive days; two weeks

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fortnight

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

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.

Reform's policy proposal comes a fortnight after the United Nations General Assembly backed a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade "the gravest crime against humanity".

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The incident comes less than a fortnight after a person died in the south-eastern Var region following a collision between a regional train and a truck.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

In a fortnight where Europe-chasing rivals United drew two blanks in three league games, Arsenal hit 10 across two games to overhaul their goal difference deficit.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 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

“Not so far—happen three mile. He had been called away by the sudden death of his father: he was at Marsh End now, and would very likely stay there a fortnight longer.”

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë