It was, however, quite entertaining and a good way to waste a few minutes. In the email I was writing, I changed biweekly to every other week because obviously everyone has a different interpretation of the word.
Until I can retrain everyone who reads my emails or speaks with me to understand the difference, though, I will not be able to use the prefix bi or semi. Bi means two. Semi means half, partially or incompletely. That being said. I can see the trouble. We do not know who or what you disagree with, unless it is the dictionary.
We do not advocate any particular way of using these terms, but we do suggest substituting actual time frames to avoid confusion. Why would you say biweekly for once every two weeks? Have you not heard of the word fortnightly?
It removes any confusion. Also, what is the word for the period of every 4 months.. It may not work for every situation but my aide memoir helps me in most cases : If I were bilingual, would I be fluent in 2 languages or fluent in half a language?
If you are American and partially learned another language, you would probably be semi lingual as my experience on Facebook has taught me that my fellow Americans have a ghastly knowledge of the English language. It seems to me that the confusion occurs because it is not clearly stated to which half of the equation the prefix refers.
I agree with Mike in his circa posts. I agree also that when dictionaries fail to maintian sanity about the use and meaning of words that it is the responsibility of those of us who still care to not just parrot what the dictionary may say but also acknowledge that the dictionary s have failed us and to give the sort of thoughtful and clear understanding that was given by Mike.
Just bowing to the dictionaries and re-iterating their failings as did gramerbook. We, as those concerned with clear precise and unambigous communications, have a responsibility to encourage the better use of the language even in the face of a dictionary that embraces the devolution of that language. An evolving language can be a good thing, I agree with and understand that. But there is NOTHING GOOD about a language in which a sufficient volume of mis-use results in something being deemed correct, especially when that new acceptance condones and facilitates mis-communication.
Grammar is base in rules and commmon understanding. Those rules should not change on the whim of the ignorant; nor should they change based on a wide spread usage that leads to the errosion of clear communications. Apparently, you missed our reply of July 17, , to the comment submitted by Mike, in which we agreed with him wholeheartedly.
If you read through some of the earlier posts in this blog, you will note that our website is simply explaining definitions, reporting current usages, and interpreting and reflecting the rules of English grammar and punctuation. We prefer to explain dictionary definitions rather than chastise them.
Your response is confusing. Using GrammarBook as a source for Grammar and Punctuation might get your gramma mad and your editor punchy. At least you began with a true premise.
Our article is intended to point out that decades of careless usage have made these terms ambiguous. The meanings cited are dictionary definitions. Biweekly means once every two weeks or twice a week. In clarifying the difference, you confused. Unfortunately, it appears that you misunderstood the article. There is nothing to correct.
The meanings quoted are dictionary definitions. If you read through some of the comments, you will see that people clearly caught on. You will also see that we are just as upset about this situation as everyone else. We are advising our readers of this oddity, and we offer a way to avoid confusion. Every two weeks or twice a week? Every two months or twice a month.
We see the contradictions and have acknowledged them in the blog. That is why we said that to avoid confusion, you may want to substitute the actual time frame for these confusing terms. Their dual meanings most certainly cause much confusion. Maybe through the following explanation, someone on this page can solidify their use of at least the prefix bi- in their communications. Bisect is a verb meaning to divide something into two equal parts. Sect, to cut, looks to bi- to determine how many parts should be the result, not how many times the cutting should take place.
Trisect follows the same rule. But make no mistake, -sect does the cutting once, not bi-. Bi- means two parts not cutting twice. Hetero-, homo-, and bisexual hold most definite meanings. Hetero- means other or different.
Homo- means same. And bi- means both of the existing sexes, or the same AND something other than same, maybe even opposite. Bi- did not create two sexes, nor did it divide one sex into two. It only described the two sexes in existence. So bisexual loves both…two…not twice of the same. Much like bisect cuts into two, not twice, with -sect as the operative. Heteroweekly would mean at some time other than this week. Homoweekly would mean during this or the same week. But look at this, biweekly would mean both this week AND the other…two.
And bisexual describes the sexes, not how many time they are loved. I understand the dictionary allows two meanings. It is one thing to acknowledge that a lot of people mis-use a word and therefore the well educated must be cautious when using that word around the less well educated. At exactly what point does mis-use become okay? Jane acknowledged that mute was incorrectly used where moot was meant. I think this contradiction between uses will lead to discontinued use of bi-weekly and bi-monthly unless an authority on word usage takes a stand.
A year of semi-monthly visits would result in 24 visits while a year of bi-weekly visits would total The true answer, I believe, is not in the placement of bi or semi prefix; both are equally ambiguous. Hence dissertations on the meaning of the prefix are meaningless. What good is THAT???
Perhaps you misread our blog. It is good that we inform our readers that these words can lead to confusion. This was an interesting thread to read and original article to read. I thought I would just make a small contribution, in pointing out logical fallacies that seem to have consistently taken place I will point no fingers though. They give a basic background but seldom definitive meaning. A prefix is not predefined in two of what.
Other examples provide evidence of possible usages, but not proof of specific use. I mean, what is a biscuit? According to the Latin, twice-cooked. Definitely not the delicious golden goodness I enjoy under some good sausage gravy. Could you have a daily meeting on a fortnight? I see this differently. Consider weekly or whatever as the period of a repeating event. Bi- and Semi- are then modifers of the interval or period. I contend that using bi- infers the event occurs twice as often, i.
Semi- infers half, or that the event happens half as often, i. Imo, go with already established and unchanging definitions, if you BIsect an angle, you end up with two halves. So bi-anything should be every half of that anything, i. In a headline or header when referring to an annual event should it be: 2nd or Second Does it follow the same rules as in number where all numbers under 11 are spelled out?
The Associated Press Stylebook is targeted to newspapers and magazines. My boss asked me to submit a bi-weekly report on something. I came here to see if it meant 2 times a week or once in two weeks… seems I got more confused reading everything here…. Let me explain what I mean…. Those are interesting thoughts, but the only way you can be sure is to ask your boss for clarification. I detect a fair bit of frustration in the posts being tossed about here and it certainly will not end with this thread.
I, for one, certainly hope that it does not. For the frustrated, your angst is understandable as you seek closure, but I offer some perspective on the cost of closure. Now, before you claim your camp in the war for linguistic superiority, note that the discussions here have been quite lively… linguistically speaking, that is of supreme importance. We, fortunately, IMHO, are dealing with a living language and this is but one evidence of how truly alive it is. Languages suffocate and die under conquerors, dictators, and other extreme duress.
Yes, adults will complain of leet just as vehemently as teenagers will complain of Shakespeare, but rest assured that if your language is living and breathing, the people who use it are as well! Peace to you all. This is obviously a late addition, but would it be easier if we broke the word differently? Weekly means once per week. That would make semiweekly once per semiweek or once per half-week. As for proscriptive or descriptive, I agree that the purpose of language is clear communication.
To that end, we need some degree of standardization. The descriptive side of things will always be necessary since our world changes, our needs change and our language will have to change with them. This answer is bananas. Are you saying it is either? Because those two things are very different. Leave a Comment or Question: Cancel reply. Please ensure that your question or comment relates to the topic of the blog post. Unrelated comments may be deleted.
If necessary, use the "Search" box on the right side of the page to find a post closely related to your question or comment. Your email address will not be published. Semi weekly, monthly, annually Using bi or semi in front of time periods can create tremendous confusion these days as definitions and style guidance continue to soften and blur. Biweekly : once every two weeks or twice a week Bimonthly: once every two months or twice a month In addition, a biweekly publication is issued every two weeks and a bimonthly publication is issued every two months.
July 16, , at pm. Jane says:. July 17, , at pm. Joe says:. September 10, , at pm. Anona says:. February 26, , at am. March 1, , at pm. Mark Harder says:. Consider the two sentences below; We have biennial flowers in our garden. Origin: Biannual is a combination of two English words; bi and annual. Biannual as adjective: Biannual is used as an adjective in English language where it has only one meaning which is occurring twice a year.
Biennial as adjective: Biennial is used as an adjective in English language where it means taking place every other year. Biennial as noun: Biennial is also used as a noun where it implies a biennial plant or an event celebrated or taking place every two years. Biannual or biennial: Biennial means once every two years. Rate this article: 3. Have a discussion about this article with the community: 1 Comment. Notify me of new comments via email.
Abe Navarrete. What I pasted above is from your post. The first is a complete sentence. The second is not. And shouldn't "confuse" be "confused" even if it is part of an incomplete sentence?
Like Reply Report 5 2 years ago. Robert A Vick IV. The gentleman who does it came out in May , which means I won't see his smiling face again until May Be sure to get these words straight.
If you say "biannual" when you mean "biennial," you'll be doubling the number of times you'll have to do something in a given year and quadrupling over a 2-year period. A mistake like that could really come back to bite you. Do you remember the difference between the 8 parts of speech and how to use them? Are you comfortable with punctuation and mechanics? No matter what type of writing you do, mastering the fundamentals of grammar and mechanics is an important first step to having a successful writing career.
Click to continue. For the November PAD Chapbook Challenge, poets are tasked with writing a poem a day in the month of November before assembling a chapbook manuscript in the month of December. Today's prompt is to write a Blank That poem. Today's prompt is to write a luck poem. The Writer's Digest team has witnessed many writing mistakes over the years, so this series helps identify them for other writers along with correction strategies.
This week's mistake is to write all the time without taking a break for other activities. Author Beth Kirschner discusses how to create character conflict that can mirror a larger societal conflict. Award-winning author Joy Castro discusses how her free webinar series, Writing Brilliant Essays, is a marriage between pre-COVID classroom practices and the incorporation of what she learned when education went virtual.
Today's prompt is to write a raw poem. Every good story needs a nice or not so nice turn or two to keep it interesting. This week, let your character travel to another dimension. When writing about real people in historical fiction, what might the consequences be of taking certain artistic liberties?
Accessed 14 Nov. More Definitions for biannual. See the full definition for biannual in the English Language Learners Dictionary. Nglish: Translation of biannual for Spanish Speakers.
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of biannual. Other Words from biannual What do bimonthly and biweekly mean?
Example Sentences Learn More About biannual. Other Words from biannual biannually adverb. What do bimonthly and biweekly mean? Did you know? Examples of biannual in a Sentence Politicians still tremble when Barry begins his biannual comeback flirtations.
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