biennial

[bahy-en-ee-uhl]

adjective

1. happening every two years.

   biennial games.

2. lasting or enduring for two years.

   a biennial life cycle.

3. Botany.,  completing its normal term of life in two years, flowering and fruiting the second year, as beets or winter wheat.

noun

1. any event occurring once in two years.

2. Botany.,  a biennial plant.

biennial

/ baɪˈɛnɪəl /

adjective

1. occurring every two years

2. lasting two years Compare biannual

noun

1. a plant, such as the carrot, that completes its life cycle within two years, developing vegetative storage parts during the first year and flowering and fruiting in its second year Compare annual perennial

2. an event that takes place every two years

biennial

1. Completing a life cycle normally in two growing seasons.

1. A biennial plant. In the first year, biennials normally produce a short stem, a rosette of leaves, and a fleshy root that acts as food supply. In the second season, biennials blossom, produce seed, use up their food supply, and die. Carrots, parsnips, and sugar beets are examples of biennials.

2. Compare annual perennial

Confusables Note

See bi- ¹.

Other Word Forms

• biennially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of biennial¹

First recorded in 1615–25; bienni(um) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Rather than scrap the biennial tournament - which began in 2003 as the Asia Trophy and has had 25 different clubs enter - Masters is confident it will happen again in 2027.

From BBC

Instead he hopes the new global calendar, that begins next year with the first edition of the biennial Nations Cup, will create opportunities.

From BBC

And when Texas lawmakers gathered in Austin for their biennial session, the scale of the storm’s destruction was hard to ignore.

From Salon

Mexico, the reigning Gold Cup champion, started slowly in opening its defense of its title in the biennial 16-team tournament.

From Los Angeles Times

Some international travellers are choosing to skip the biennial event over travel fears, while others are protesting President Donald Trump's policies.

From BBC

Related Words

• flower 
• grass 
• herb 
• seedling 
• shrub 
• tree 
• vine 
• weed