quadrennial
Americanadjective
-
occurring every four years.
a quadrennial festival.
-
of or lasting for four years.
a quadrennial period.
noun
adjective
-
occurring every four years
-
relating to or lasting four years
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quadrennial
1640–50; earlier quadriennial < Latin quadrienni ( um ) ( see quadrennium) + -al 1
Explanation
The U.S. presidential election is a quadrennial event, something that happens every four years. And because the word also means "lasting four years," you can say that the newly-elected President will serve a quadrennial term. While the "happening every four years" meaning is more common, you can use the word quadrennial in both ways. You might describe your high school years, ninth to twelfth grade, as a quadrennial, while also referring to your favorite quadrennial sporting event, Olympic figure skating. This word is from the Latin quadri-, "four," and -ennial, from annus, "year."
Vocabulary lists containing quadrennial
ann, enn
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quad, quar (four)
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quadr
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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.
But when an analyst asked whether the quadrennial event would have a Swift-level impact on business, executives said it wouldn’t.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
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 • Mar. 18, 2026
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 • Mar. 12, 2026
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 • Jan. 14, 2026
In annual church reports, and triennial and quadrennial, much space is given to telling of the wealth of the Church.
From Quiet Talks with World Winners by Gordon, S. D. (Samuel Dickey)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
