biennial: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2formal/academic/technical
Quick answer
What does “biennial” mean?
occurring every two years.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
occurring every two years; lasting for two years.
A plant that takes two years to complete its life cycle (flowering and dying in the second year); an event, meeting, or publication that occurs once every two years.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Neutral and formal in both. Botanical meaning is equally technical.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency and formal in both varieties, used primarily in academic, institutional, and horticultural contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “biennial” in a Sentence
[event] is bienniala biennial [event/review/plant]held bienniallyon a biennial basisVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “biennial” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The festival is biennialised to reduce organisational costs.
American English
- The association voted to biennialize the major conference.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The board mandated a biennial audit of all subsidiary accounts.
Academic
The university hosts a biennial symposium on climate ethics.
Everyday
[Rare in casual speech. If used:] "The local flower show is biennial, so it's not on this year."
Technical
Foxgloves are classic biennials, producing leaves in the first year and flowers in the second.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “biennial”
- Using 'biennial' to mean 'twice a year' (the word for that is 'biannual' or 'semiannual').
- Misspelling as 'biennal' or 'biannual'.
- Using in informal contexts where 'every two years' is clearer.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the most common confusion. 'Biennial' means happening every two years or lasting for two years. 'Biannual' means happening twice a year. A good trick: 'BiENNial' has an 'n' for 'eNNual' (year).
Yes. As a noun, it most commonly refers to a plant that completes its life cycle in two years (e.g., a carrot is a biennial), or to an event that occurs every two years (e.g., 'The Venice Biennale is a major arts biennial').
Yes, it is primarily used in formal, academic, technical, or institutional contexts (business, government, horticulture). In everyday conversation, people usually say 'every two years' to avoid confusion.
The adverb is 'biennially', meaning 'once every two years'. Example: 'The financial report is submitted biennially.'
occurring every two years.
Biennial: in British English it is pronounced /baɪˈɛnɪəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /baɪˈɛniəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[none specific to 'biennial']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: BIENNIAL has 'BI-' (meaning two, like in bicycle) and 'ENN' (sounds like 'year' in Latin 'annus'). So, BI + ENNIAL = two years.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A CYCLE (measured in two-year units).
Practice
Quiz
What is the correct meaning of 'biennial'?