quadrennial

American  

[kwo-dren-ee-uhl] / kwɒˈdrɛn i əl /

adjective

1. occurring every four years.

   a quadrennial festival.

2. of or lasting for four years.

   a quadrennial period.

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noun

1. an event occurring every four years, as an anniversary or its celebration.

quadrennial British  

/ kwɒˈdrɛnɪəl /

adjective

1. occurring every four years

2. relating to or lasting four years

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noun

1. a period of four years

Other Word Forms

• quadrennially adverb

Etymology

Origin of quadrennial

1640–50; earlier quadriennial < Latin quadrienni ( um ) ( quadrennium ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

A quadrennial competition between national baseball squads, the WBC is like the World Cup — if only 15 or so countries cared about soccer.

From Salon

The players were a close-knit team when they arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup, a quadrennial tournament involving 12 teams from the region.

From The Wall Street Journal

Maybe the quadrennial aspect of the Games creates extra tension.

From The Wall Street Journal

The event intends to complement the quadrennial UK City of Culture, with applications for the 2029 edition already underway - Bradford won the title in 2025.

From BBC

The men's national team last graced the global stage in France 1998 but it has failed to qualify for the six quadrennial editions since then.

From BBC