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octennial

[ok-ten-ee-uh l]
See more synonyms for octennial on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. occurring every eight years.
  2. of or for eight years.
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Origin of octennial

1650–60; < Late Latin octenni(um) eight-year period (oct- oct- + -enn-, combining form of annus year + -ium -ium) + -al1
Related formsoc·ten·ni·al·ly, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for octennial

Historical Examples

  • Octennial, ok-ten′i-al, adj. happening every eighth year: lasting eight years.

    Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)

    Various

  • Of late these shackles, if I mistake not, have been broken; and octennial parliaments have besides been established.

    The Federalist Papers

    Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

British Dictionary definitions for octennial

octennial

adjective
  1. occurring every eight years
  2. lasting for eight years
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Derived Formsoctennially, adverb

Word Origin

C17: from Latin octennium eight years, from octo eight + annus year
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