Biannual / Biennial

Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:

BIANNUAL / BIENNIAL 

Since annual means yearly and the prefix bi- means two, it is logical to assume that biannual would mean every two years. However, the preferred meaning for biannual is twice a year, the same meaning as semiannual, while biennial is the preferred word to mean every two years (just as bicentennial means every 200 years), especially when referring to flowering plants. That is why plants that flower every year are referred to as annuals while those that flower every two years are called biennials.

INCORRECT: Our neighborhood holds biennial  block parties every year on New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July.

CORRECT: Our neighborhood holds biannual  block parties every year on New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July.

INCORRECT: In the United States, biannual  elections are held to elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives, who serve two-year terms. 

CORRECT: In the United States, biennial  elections are held to elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives, who serve two-year terms. 

© 2020 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.