semiannual

[ sem-ee-an-yoo-uhl, sem-ahy- ]
See synonyms for semiannual on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. Also semiyearly . occurring, done, or published every half year or twice a year; biannual.

  2. lasting for half a year: a semiannual plant.

Origin of semiannual

1
First recorded in 1785–95; semi- + annual

confusables note For semiannual

See bi-1.

Other words from semiannual

  • sem·i·an·nu·al·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with semiannual

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use semiannual in a sentence

  • I am held accountable to the Secretary of the Treasury semiannually for the manner in which the appropriation has been expended.

    Red Men and White | Owen Wister
  • He had established a branch of his gigantic business there and himself rolled semiannually from coast to coast in his private car.

    Play the Game! | Ruth Comfort Mitchell
  • Weekly or monthly or yearly, sometimes semiannually, and so forth.

    Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
  • The cockroach is born on the fust ov May and the fust ov November semiannually, and is reddy for use in fifteen days from date.

British Dictionary definitions for semiannual

semiannual

/ (ˌsɛmɪˈænjʊəl) /


adjective
  1. occurring every half-year

  2. lasting for half a year

Derived forms of semiannual

  • semiannually, adverb

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