quadrennial

[ kwo-dren-ee-uhl ]

adjective

1. occurring every four years:

   a quadrennial festival.

2. of or lasting for four years:

   a quadrennial period.

noun

1. an event occurring every four years, as an anniversary or its celebration.

quadrennial

/ kwɒˈdrɛnɪəl /

adjective

1. occurring every four years
2. relating to or lasting four years

noun

1. a period of four years

Derived Forms

• quadˈrennially, adverb

Other Words From

• quad·renni·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of quadrennial¹

1640–50; earlier quadriennial < Latin quadrienni ( um ) ( quadrennium ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

In 2014, the quadrennial review by the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service laid out four scenarios for how the fire landscape might look in a decade or so.

From ProPublica

For many aspiring Olympians, the quadrennial event is the culmination of a lifetime of sacrifices to compete against the best athletes in the world while representing their country on an international stage.

From Washington Blade

The Olympic Games are a quadrennial opportunity for thousands of elite athletes to come together not just in pursuit of sporting greatness, but in the name of humanity.

From Ozy

Cafritz, one of the last of the District’s grand dame host­esses, threw quadrennial inaugural parties for nearly three decades.

From Washington Post

On Monday morning, Bowser said at a news conference that she urged all Americans to stay home rather than travel to Washington, a city that normally welcomes the quadrennial flood of inauguration tourists with open arms.

From Washington Post

This quadrennial “running of the mulls” almost makes you feel sorry for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

From The Daily Beast

After every quadrennial vice-presidential audition, another cautionary guideline emerges.

From The Daily Beast

This is exactly when and how these quadrennial Democratic cluster-you-know-whats start.

From The Daily Beast

When he floated his quadrennial idea three months ago, I assumed it was more of the same.

From The Daily Beast

Who came up the shortest in the Capitol's quadrennial reshuffling?

From The Daily Beast

I fairly gloat over these quadrennial political campaigns of ours.

From Project Gutenberg

Quadrennial, kwod-ren′yal, adj. comprising four years: once in four years.

From Project Gutenberg

I did not believe as the quadrennial period approached in 1892 that Mr. Cleveland could be elected.

From Project Gutenberg

The quadrennial renewal of all the municipal councils of France took place in May 1900.

From Project Gutenberg

The campaign which followed the conventions was the most remarkable in the long history of our quadrennial spectacles.

From Project Gutenberg