Dictionary Definition
biweekly adj
1 occurring twice a week [syn: semiweekly]
2 occurring every two weeks [syn: fortnightly] n : a
periodical that is published biweekly adv
1 twice a week; "he called home semiweekly" [syn:
semiweekly]
2 every two weeks; "he visited his cousins
fortnightly" [syn: fortnightly]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- bī.wēk'lē, /baɪ'wiːkli/, /baI"wi:kli/
Pronunciation
Adjective
biweeklySynonyms
- (occurring once every two weeks): fortnightly
- (occurring twice a week): twice-weekly
Translations
occurring every two weeks
occurring twice a week
Adverb
biweekly- Every two weeks.
- chiefly UK Twice a week (but see the Usage notes).
Synonyms
- (every two weeks): fortnightly
- (twice a week): twice weekly
Translations
every two weeks
- French: toutes les deux semaines, tous les quinze jours
- Galician: cada dúas semanas, quincenal (this last one actually means every 15 days, but it could be used depending of the situation)
- German: alle zwei Wochen, zweiwöchentlich
- Italian: ogni due settimane
- Portuguese: uma vez a cada duas semanas
- Spanish: cada dos semanas, quincenal (this last one actually means every 15 days, but it could be used depending of the situation)
twice a week
See also
- semiweekly
- fortnightly (UK)
Noun
biweekly (plural: biweeklies)- Something that is published or released once every two weeks.
- The local paper is a biweekly.
Translations
something published or released once every two
weeks
Usage notes
- In the adjective and adverb senses, the prefix bi- applies to the week rather than to the events that occur, therefore giving the sense of "every two weeks". Since the term is also used in the UK to mean "twice a week", it is ambiguous there. For the sake of clarity, it is advisable to use one of the synonyms instead.
Extensive Definition
Bi-weekly, sometimes referred to as fortnightly,
is a reference to an event that occurs once every two weeks. A two
week interval is equivalent to one fortnight. An example of a
biweekly event would be the production of some magazines or the payday of some companies.
fort·night·ly [fawrt-nahyt-lee]adjective, adverb,
noun, plural. –adjective 1.occurring or appearing once a fortnight.
–adverb 2.once a fortnight. –noun 3.a periodical issued every two
weeks.
There are fifty-two weeks in a year of twelve months, making for a possible 26
biweekly events in a year. This is a greater number than if such
events were held twice a month, due to the fact that most months
have more than four weeks (28 days). However, biweekly is often
thought of incorrectly as twice a month. Twice a month is called
"semimonthly," not biweekly.
According to Webster's dictionary, Bi-weekly can
also be a reference to an event that occurs twice per week. Given
the ambiguity and unscientific nature of this denotation, some
authorities recommend avoiding the term where precision is
required.
See Also
References and Notes
biweekly in Japanese: 隔週刊
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
annual,
biannual, biennial, bimonthly, catamenial, centenary, centennial, daily, daybook, decennial, diary, diurnal, ephemeris, fortnightly, gazette, hebdomadal, hourly, journal, magazine, menstrual, momentary, momently, monthly, newsmagazine, organ, periodical, pictorial, quarterly, quotidian, review, secular, semestral, semiannual, semimonthly, semiweekly, semiyearly, serial, slick magazine, tertian, trade magazine,
triennial, weekly, yearbook, yearly