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biennial

biennial

3 5.8
Happening once every two years
  • adjective
  • /baɪˈɛn.i.əl/
translation icon : bienal
  • The university hosts its biennial homecoming celebration for alumni every two years.
  • biennial conference
  • biennial screening
  • biennial survey

Examples

  • The Center plans to publish the report on a biennial basis beginning in late 2012.

    Blog text (31)
  • RM Auctions returns to Monaco next month, May 11-12, for its biennial sale at the Grimaldi Forum.

    Blog text (23)
  • The biennial Research Assessment Exercises carried out in Britain are a case in point.

    Academic text (2005)
  • AIDS researchers decided to hold their biennial meeting in South Africa.

  • The biennial World Resources Report is a comprehensive report on a range of global environmental trends.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Their work cannot be redirected on an annual or biennial basis to meet changing regulatory needs.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The straw poll was conducted Friday and Saturday at the biennial Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference.

    Blog text (24)
  • The Boston Youth Survey is a biennial paper-and-pencil survey of 9th- through 12th-grade students in Boston public schools.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The Democrats held biennial national conventions between 1972 and 1986 before repealing the practice in 1988.

    Academic text (1992)
  • More Americans get news online than from radios or newspapers, Pew's biennial study of news consumption habits says.

    Blog text (4)

Synonyms

biyearly
vsbiennial
5.8

Happening once every two years

is not described as usable in adverb form

How Often

annual
721 1.0
biennial
3 5.8
triennial
1 7.2
quadrennial
4 7.2

Surface Forms

biennial positive

Morphology

biennial = annual (transparent) = bi + ennial

Formed by prefixation of 'bi-' (two) to the yearly base ('annual'), yielding the straightforward meaning 'every two years'.

Etymology

Biennial comes from the parts bi- 'two' and annual 'year', so the adjective simply means 'every two years'. That is why a biennial event or meeting is held once every two years.