This is one that has caused me some consternation for some time.
Everybody knows that Annual means Once a year
But does Biannual mean

1) Twice a year
or
2) Once every two years

And

IF it means 1) Twice a year
What is the equivalent term for Every two years.
or
If it means 2) Every two years
what is the word for twice a year

Help! :loopy:

I often wonder the same about bi-monthly!

K x

Originally posted by muddycoffee
This is one that has caused me some consternation for some time.
Everybody knows that Annual means Once a year
But does Biannual mean

1) Twice a year
or
2) Once every two years

And

IF it means 1) Twice a year
What is the equivalent term for Every two years.
or
If it means 2) Every two years
what is the word for twice a year

Help! :loopy:
Biannual = appearing twice each year

Biennial = lasting / occuring every two years

Having just looked them up on dictionary.com, apparrently both phrases have both meanings! :huh:

K x

Yes both are correct. Which means you have to be careful in what context you use them in, similiarly with bi=monthly.

Can you lot actually read?

From dictionary.com:

bi·an·nu·al (b - n y - l)
adj.
1. Happening twice each year; semiannual.
2. Occurring every two years; biennial.


bi·en·ni·al (b - n - l)
adj.
1. Lasting or living for two years.
2. Happening every second year.
3. Botany. Having a life cycle that normally takes two growing seasons to complete.
n.
1. An event that occurs every two years.
2. Botany.
a. A plant that normally requires two seasons to complete its life cycle, growing usually as a rosette in the first season and producing flowers and fruits and then dying in the second season.
b. A perennial plant, such as the English daisy, cultivated as a biennial.

My reading is fine; How is yours foo-fighter?


2 entries found for biannually.
bi·an·nu·al Audio pronunciation of "biannually" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (b-ny-l)
adj.

1. Happening twice each year; semiannual.
2. Occurring every two years; biennial.

Bianually has the meaning of twice each year AND every two years. The fact that the word biennial can be used to represent only every two years doesn't change that fact.

K x

Webster's and Collins both clearly separate the two without confusion.

I respectfully suggest that Dictionary.com has it wrong or perhaps has some American usage leaning.

Biannual also has common usage in financial dealings and you will find here that it means twice-a-year only.

Well thanks
I think this is what I wanted to hear :-

Biannual = appearing twice each year

Biennial = lasting / occuring every two years

Crikey calm down you lot, It's not life or death.
Why don't you all kiss and make up.

Originally posted by Kristian
Bianually has the meaning of twice each year AND every two years. The fact that the word biennial can be used to represent only every two years doesn't change that fact.

K x

Agreed. Same with bi-monthly.

We're not falling out, we're just having a healthy heated debate, where I wasn't wrong :D

K x

There really shouldn't be any confusion here. From the Cambridge dictionary:

biannual [Show phonetics]
adjective [before noun]
happening twice a year:
The committee has just published its biannual report.

biennial [Show phonetics]
adjective
happening once every two years


Bimonthly on the other hand IS confusing because of its ambiguity:

bimonthly [Show phonetics]
adjective, adverb
happening or appearing every two months or twice a month

Originally posted by foo_fighter
From dictionary.com:

bi·an·nu·al (b - n y - l)
adj.
1. Happening twice each year; semiannual.
2. Occurring every two years; biennial.

bi·en·ni·al (b - n - l)
adj.
1. Lasting or living for two years.
2. Happening every second year.
3. Botany. Having a life cycle that normally takes two growing seasons to complete.
n.
1. An event that occurs every two years.
2. Botany.
a. A plant that normally requires two seasons to complete its life cycle, growing usually as a rosette in the first season and producing flowers and fruits and then dying in the second season.
b. A perennial plant, such as the English daisy, cultivated as a biennial.
OK, I'll try again, Skatiechik take note, Kristian, the above is from your source, and says:

bi·an·nu·al (b - n y - l)
adj.
1. Happening twice each year; semiannual.

then

2. Occurring every two years; biennial.

Notice point 1. biannual = happening twice each year
Notice point 2. occuring every 2 years = biennial

So

Originally posted by foo_fighter
Biannual = appearing twice each year

Biennial = lasting / occuring every two years
It then follows:

bi·en·ni·al (b - n - l)
adj.
1. Lasting or living for two years.
2. Happening every second year.
3. Botany. Having a life cycle that normally takes two growing seasons to complete.
n.
1. An event that occurs every two years.
2. Botany.
a. A plant that normally requires two seasons to complete its life cycle, growing usually as a rosette in the first season and producing flowers and fruits and then dying in the second season.
b. A perennial plant, such as the English daisy, cultivated as a biennial.

Notice above points, Biennial = Lasting or living for two years

So

Originally posted by foo_fighter
Biannual = appearing twice each year

Biennial = lasting / occuring every two years
Not that tricky is it?

;)

Long winded reply doesn't mean that I was wrong in my statement :thumbsup: Biannual as a word on it's own is not specific.

K x

Originally posted by Kristian
Long winded reply doesn't mean that I was wrong in my statement Biannual as a word on it's own is not specific.
OK, I'll try again, again, Kristian, the description is from your source, and says:

bi·an·nu·al (b - n y - l)
adj.
1. Happening twice each year.

then

2. Occurring every two years; biennial.

Notice point 1. biannual = happening twice each year
Notice point 2. occuring every 2 years = biennial

That was the short version so as to be easier to follow, so

Originally posted by foo_fighter
Biannual = appearing twice each year

Biennial = lasting / occuring every two years

So you see, Biannual as a word on it's own IS specific, and so IS Biennial.

Check other sources if you like, and take note of other forum members, and their sources, it is true.

C'mon, surely you must see it by now.

;)

Foo, I understand the point you are trying to make. For clarity, I quote once more from dictionary.com:

2 entries found for biannually.
bi·an·nu·al Audio pronunciation of "biannually" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (b-ny-l)
adj.

1. Happening twice each year; semiannual.
2. Occurring every two years; biennial.


I understand the words 'semiannual' and 'biennial' at the ends of lines 1 and 2 to be synonyms. It still quite clearly states that lines 1 and 2 are meanings of biannually!

I really think I understand your point, I just don't agree with you.

K x

Originally posted by Kristian
Foo, I understand the point you are trying to make.

I really think I understand your point, I just don't agree with you.
That's fine Kristian, but my original source was the Oxford dictionary, and that has no such ambiguities.

Anyway, muddycoffee is happy with the answer to the original question, so it doesn't really matter.

:)

Originally posted by foo_fighter
Anyway, muddycoffee is happy with the answer to the original question, so it doesn't really matter.

:)

Yes, quite! :D Fun while it lasted though! :thumbsup:

K x

Originally posted by Kristian
Yes, quite! :D Fun while it lasted though! :thumbsup:

K x
:thumbsup:

( I would've just posted the above smilie, but these silly forum rules wouldn't let me ;) )

Why don't you all just save time and read what t020 says, he's always right to the point.

Well done folks. Full marks for all your efforts, greatly appreciated. Special mention to Foo's [apparent] huffing and puffing.

Tommorrows punch up will be

What's the difference between

"Pacific "

and

" Specific "

What about flammable and inflammable?

I'd love to stay and start fighting about these now, but I gotta go do some training to be ready for tomorrow's bout! :thumbsup:

K x