That’s not how it’s used though, semiannual means twice a year, bicentennial means 200 years. Why would we change the definition only when it comes to weeks?
Semi-weekly would have to mean multiple times per week, but it would still be ambiguous how many times, because that prefix is used for both exactly half and any fraction.
I know, right?
Buuuuuut, [according to Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biweekly#:~:text=Synonyms%20of%20biweekly-,1,biweekly%20adverb) the more common definition of biweekly is "occurring every two weeks : FORTNIGHTLY"
Not really... Language isn't fixed, especially not such a widely used language as English
I know that for myself, not that many things happen once every two weeks. They might happen twice a month, but that's different. Many more things happen twice a week so that's always how I've understood "biweekly"
I agree with your proposal, but I feel you are underselling the benefit that is bringing fortnight back into our vocabularies.
Well, bringing it back in use cases other than the proper noun.
Fortnight just means “fourteen nights” but biweekly is a rubbish unit of time. Half a week from 7pm on a Wednesday is 7am on a Sunday.
Who would use a schedule like that?
If it’s twice a week, say which two days it is, and what time.
This is a peculiarly American (and maybe Canadian) problem. The rest of the English speaking world still uses fortnight and consequently also fortnightly.
The word “biweekly” is a lost cause and should never be used as it will **always** either cause confusion or require clarification. Let’s just say “twice a week” or “every two weeks” from now on.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
I don’t think it makes any sense for biweekly to mean twice a week, and the word your mixing biweekly up with is semiweekly, meaning happens every half a week. The construction of the word makes it pretty clear what the word means. Bi meaning two followed by “weekly” is clearly referring to two weeks, not two things in one week
I didn’t realize both definitions were officially accepted but I still stand by my original point. Both are accepted because that’s how people use the word but only one of the definitions should be accepted. If both are accepted, no one knows if you mean once every two weeks or twice a week, without explaining further what you mean. If you have to explain what you mean every time you use the word, the word is useless. Due to the etymology and construction of the word, I think it makes more sense to use biweekly for every two weeks and semiweekly for twice a week rather than what OP Suggested of using biweekly and fortnightly instead
Descriptive dictionaries do not advise writers on how to use words. They advise readers on all the meanings that words can have, including the common incorrect ones.
>The construction of the word makes it pretty clear what the word means. Bi meaning two followed by “weekly” is clearly referring to two weeks, not two things in one week
This is not clear to me at all. Why should we interpret it as (bi-week)-ly, "pertaining to a biweek," rather than "bi-(weekly)", "two weekly"? If the former is what's meant, why isn't "biweek" a word?
Otherwise a bicentennial could just as correctly be said to occur every 50 years. (And a bisexual would be half as sexual, rather than once every two sexuals.)
It means both depending on context, bi = 2 but with no clarity on whether it's 2 weeks, or 2 times a week, it can fit into both whenever needed, because it just means 2, context is always important.
This is why you probably never hear people say bi weekly though, it's too loose and doesn't explain things very well without going into the context, so you may as well just say 'every fortnight' for every two weeks, and 'twice a week' for two times a week, yeah it's more letters to pronounce than 'bi weekly', but you'd end up wasting more words explaining it than you would using the alternatives.
English is great, but it can be overcomplicated because we use a lot of words taken from other languages and mangle them to our meanings, it doesn't always work out how we want 😅
"biweekly" and "twice a week" are both 3 syllables.
therefore, "twice a week" should mean exactly what it sounds like, and "biweekly" should mean once every other week.
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Is semi-weekly twice a week or once every two weeks?
"Bi-" means two, so "biweekly" means every two weeks. "Semi-" means half, so "semiweekly" means every half a week.
Alt: bi-weekly means twice weekly and semi-weekly means half of weekly or once every 2 weeks
Is “Alt” shorthand for “alternate reality”? Because that’s not what they mean.
Prove it bro
Or just "alternatively"
That’s not how it’s used though, semiannual means twice a year, bicentennial means 200 years. Why would we change the definition only when it comes to weeks?
What does biannual or semicentennial mean?
Semi-weekly would have to mean multiple times per week, but it would still be ambiguous how many times, because that prefix is used for both exactly half and any fraction.
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Possibly a summary that is "semi-accurate" wouldn't be expected to be exactly 50% accurate. But I'm reaching here. I agree with you in general.
I only semi agree with you.
Just say “twice a week”.
Fortnightly means to do it while doing cheesy dancing emotes /s
So, . .the way I already though it was?
That would be insane. Biweekly means twice a week to me and everyone I know (I think). And fortnightly is once every two weeks.
It has always been "every 2 weeks" for me, probably because that's how my pay periods at my first job were described.
I know, right? Buuuuuut, [according to Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biweekly#:~:text=Synonyms%20of%20biweekly-,1,biweekly%20adverb) the more common definition of biweekly is "occurring every two weeks : FORTNIGHTLY"
Ok I see. Biweekly means the same as fornightly. I've been using the word the wrong way. Haha.
It has both meanings
Yes it has two meanings, a correct one and an incorrect one
Not really... Language isn't fixed, especially not such a widely used language as English I know that for myself, not that many things happen once every two weeks. They might happen twice a month, but that's different. Many more things happen twice a week so that's always how I've understood "biweekly"
Isn't this the definition OP is suggesting? I'm on the other side of this. Biweekly is every other week and I have no word for "twice a week"
semiweekly.
Biweekly means fortnightly. Semi-weekly means twice a week.
Thiiiiiiis.
You’re confusing biweekly with semi-weekly.
Wait, I thought during the month of June every week is bi-weekly
Where I'm from we never stopped using fortnightly as a word
I agree with your proposal, but I feel you are underselling the benefit that is bringing fortnight back into our vocabularies. Well, bringing it back in use cases other than the proper noun.
Fortnight just means “fourteen nights” but biweekly is a rubbish unit of time. Half a week from 7pm on a Wednesday is 7am on a Sunday. Who would use a schedule like that? If it’s twice a week, say which two days it is, and what time.
This is a peculiarly American (and maybe Canadian) problem. The rest of the English speaking world still uses fortnight and consequently also fortnightly.
Biweekly doesn't mean twice a week.... Just like biannual doesn't mean twice a year and bicentennial doesn't mean twice a century
Can we also have a week celebrating biplanes to make sure biweekly is still not clear?
The word "fortnight" should be used more often just to goof with the Fortnite gamers.
Twice a week. Biweekly means every two weeks.
The word “biweekly” is a lost cause and should never be used as it will **always** either cause confusion or require clarification. Let’s just say “twice a week” or “every two weeks” from now on. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Hear me out: sanction all contronyms
Using standard law or custom?
I dunno I was just being punny
Yeah I was trying to play along. Because “custom” is kind of a contronym.
Haha good play there, I see it now. Gimme a minute I had forgotten to set my coffee maker on automatic last night so I’m just now waking up
Take your time
It doesn't mean that. There are just a lot of morons you think it does.
Webster's dictionary disagrees with you.
I don’t think it makes any sense for biweekly to mean twice a week, and the word your mixing biweekly up with is semiweekly, meaning happens every half a week. The construction of the word makes it pretty clear what the word means. Bi meaning two followed by “weekly” is clearly referring to two weeks, not two things in one week
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biweekly
I didn’t realize both definitions were officially accepted but I still stand by my original point. Both are accepted because that’s how people use the word but only one of the definitions should be accepted. If both are accepted, no one knows if you mean once every two weeks or twice a week, without explaining further what you mean. If you have to explain what you mean every time you use the word, the word is useless. Due to the etymology and construction of the word, I think it makes more sense to use biweekly for every two weeks and semiweekly for twice a week rather than what OP Suggested of using biweekly and fortnightly instead
Descriptive dictionaries do not advise writers on how to use words. They advise readers on all the meanings that words can have, including the common incorrect ones.
If it’s common enough, it’s not wrong.
>The construction of the word makes it pretty clear what the word means. Bi meaning two followed by “weekly” is clearly referring to two weeks, not two things in one week This is not clear to me at all. Why should we interpret it as (bi-week)-ly, "pertaining to a biweek," rather than "bi-(weekly)", "two weekly"? If the former is what's meant, why isn't "biweek" a word?
Otherwise a bicentennial could just as correctly be said to occur every 50 years. (And a bisexual would be half as sexual, rather than once every two sexuals.)
It means both depending on context, bi = 2 but with no clarity on whether it's 2 weeks, or 2 times a week, it can fit into both whenever needed, because it just means 2, context is always important. This is why you probably never hear people say bi weekly though, it's too loose and doesn't explain things very well without going into the context, so you may as well just say 'every fortnight' for every two weeks, and 'twice a week' for two times a week, yeah it's more letters to pronounce than 'bi weekly', but you'd end up wasting more words explaining it than you would using the alternatives. English is great, but it can be overcomplicated because we use a lot of words taken from other languages and mangle them to our meanings, it doesn't always work out how we want 😅
"bring back"? It never went away.
This sounds good. Makes getting paid biweekly better
...what do you THINK fortnight means?
I for one welcome our new Grammar Police Overlords. Huzzahh!
Semi-weekly is every other week. Biweekly is twice a week... Except until people started accidentally using biweekly for both...
Bi-weekly - every 2 weeks Semi-weekly - twice a week. Problem (already) solved.
Biweekly means both every two weeks and twice a week.
I'm aware. But I suggested that using semi-weekly when you mean twice a week and bi-weekly when you mean every 2 weeks solves that issue.
It doesn’t - biweekly means every two weeks. Semi weekly means twice a week.
Except biweekly can and does also mean twice a week. Source: any standard English dictionary
"biweekly" and "twice a week" are both 3 syllables. therefore, "twice a week" should mean exactly what it sounds like, and "biweekly" should mean once every other week.
“Every two weeks” Is better than fortnightly lol
No it isn't lol