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biennial

Pronunciation: /bʌɪˈɛnɪəl/

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Definition of biennial

adjective

1taking place every other year:the first of a series of biennial exhibitionsCompare with biannual.

2(of a plant) taking two years to grow from seed to fruition and die. Compare with annual, perennial.

noun

1a biennial plant.

2an event celebrated or taking place every two years: the top antiques fairs are the Milan and Florence biennials

Derivatives

biennially

Origin:

early 17th century: from Latin biennis (from bi- 'twice' + annus 'year') + -al

Biennial and biannual are often confused. Biennial means ‘occurring every two years’ (the biennial Ryder Cup tournament), while biannual means ‘twice a year’ (the solstice is a biannual event). See also bi- (usage).

biennial in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of biennial in the US English dictionary

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