biennial

American  

[bahy-en-ee-uhl] / baɪˈɛn i əl /

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.

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noun

1. any event occurring once in two years.

2. Botany. a biennial plant.

biennial British  

/ baɪˈɛnɪəl /

adjective

1. occurring every two years

2. lasting two years Compare biannual

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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 Scientific  

/ bī-ĕn′ē-əl /

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

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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

Commonly Confused

See bi- ¹.

Other Word Forms

• biennially adverb

Etymology

Origin of biennial

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

Example Sentences

Pondering her return to sculpture after several decades as an acclaimed performance and conceptual artist, Fraser notes that the L.A. artists in this year’s biennial are united by the intersection of conceptual art and craft.

From Los Angeles Times

India has invited the frigate to take part in its biennial military exercises along with participants from dozens of navies.

From The Wall Street Journal

The biennial Nations Championship will feature leading teams from both the northern and southern hemispheres.

From Barron's

The WTO is holding its ministerial conference, its biennial main gathering, in late March in Cameroon.

From Barron's

But the biennial report, released on Monday, shows single-family offices —institution-size organizations managing the wealth and day-to-day finances of rich families—are likely to change course.

From Barron's

Related Words

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