semiyearly

[ sem-ee-yeer-lee, sem-ahy- ]

adjective

1. semiannual ( def 1 ).

adverb

1. twice a year; semiannually:

   He seeded the lawn semiyearly.

semiyearly

/ ˌsɛmɪˈjɪəlɪ /

adjective

1. another word for semiannual

Confusables Note

See bi- ¹.

Word History and Origins

Origin of semiyearly¹

First recorded in 1925–30; semi- + yearly

Example Sentences

A semiyearly settling period had come around, and he had found himself without sufficient funds to pay in full, as he usually did.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• biannual

More About Semiyearly

What does semiyearly mean?

Semiyearly means twice a year (or, technically, once every half a year).

It can be used this way as an adjective, as in a semiyearly meeting, or an adverb, as in We plan to meet semiyearly. 

The adjective semiannual means the same thing as semiyearly (if semiyearly is used as an adverb, its equivalent is semiannually). The words biannual and biyearly can be synonyms of semiyearly, but they can also mean once every two years (every other year).

Although semiyearly is only used to mean twice a year—not every two years—it can still be confusing. The best (and maybe only) way to be perfectly clear is to just say “twice a year.”

Example: The dentist recommends a checkup every six months, so I guess I have to make my semiyearly appointment.

Where does semiyearly come from?

The first records of the word semiyearly come from around the 1920s. The prefix semi- means “half” and is used similarly in the word semiweekly (meaning “twice a week”) and semimonthly (meaning “twice a month”). The suffix -ly, which usually forms adverbs, is used in semiyearly to mean “every”—making it literally mean “every half year.”

People look forward to semiyearly sales (which are more commonly called semiannual sales) because they only come around every six months. Such sales are often held at around the same time every year, such as in March and September. However, just because an event is held semiyearly doesn’t mean that occurrences have to be exactly six months apart.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for semiyearly?

• twice a year
• semiannual (adjective)
• semiannually (adverb)
• biannual (adjective)
• biannually (adverb)
• biyearly

What are some words that share a root or word element with semiyearly? 

 

• yearly
• year
• semiweekly
• semimonthly

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing semiyearly?

• event
• publication
• schedule
• regular
• release
• sale

How is semiyearly used in real life?

Semiyearly means the same thing as semiannual, but it’s less commonly used. In general, to avoid confusion, it’s probably best to just say “twice a year.”

I remember the time when I received monthly paychecks from Adsense. Now, it's quarterly or even worst semiyearly :(

— Ridho Putradi S'Gara (@idowebid) September 13, 2011

I think the fact that pokemon comes out on a semiyearly basis is bad for the series and I would not have a new game for a couple of years if it ment the developers can take their time and work at a human pace to get things done and make the best game they can.

(1/2)

— SlyTen (@SlyTen674) November 18, 2019

semiyearly viewing of The Fountain time to be amazed and cry at the bathtub scene for the millionth time.

— Kristen Sexton (@Krstnlzbth) September 10, 2013

 

 

Try using semiyearly!

Is semiyearly used correctly in the following sentence?

The magazine will transition from a semiyearly release schedule to a quarterly one.