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

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."

Example Sentences

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

Critics have also voiced concern that the quadrennial athletic event could displace low-income tenants, particularly those who live near Olympic venues.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025

With the passage of the Presidential Protection Act of 2000, and 9/11 the quadrennial gatherings have increasingly become paramilitary affairs.

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2024

From their quadrennial occurrence all Hellas computed its chronology, the interval that elapsed between one celebration and the next being called an Olympiad.

From Mosaics of Grecian History by Willson, Marcius