Have you ever encountered the word “biweekly” and wondered what it means? The word often gets confused as its meaning can be a bit ambiguous. But fear not, for this article will help you unravel the biweekly meaning in a simple way.
The Meaning of “Biweekly” Word
First thing first, is it “Biweekly” or “Bi-weekly”? Let’s address the correct spelling of “biweekly” first.
The standard and most accepted spelling is “biweekly,” without a hyphen. While the hyphenated form “bi-weekly” is occasionally encountered, it is considered less common and grammatically incorrect.
“Biweekly” is a widely used word among English speakers. It precisely conveys an event’s frequency or occurrence, often in formal contexts such as business documents or academic writings. Its usage helps maintain clarity in communication.
The word “biweekly” possesses two meanings, each conveying a different frequency, which is:
Meaning 1: Twice a Week
In this context, “biweekly” indicates something occurs twice within a week. For example:
“I’m trying to establish a biweekly gym routine, but it’s hard to stick to it.”
“The company’s biweekly free lunch program aims to boost employee satisfaction and morale.”
Meaning 2: Every Two Week
Alternatively, “biweekly” signifies that something happens every two weeks. For example:
“The biweekly meetings revealed that customers are satisfied with our ongoing promotion.”
“My biweekly paychecks enable me to settle my bills more regularly, positively impacting my credit score.”
The Biweekly Paradox: How to Use It Correctly?
As you can see, “biweekly” has two distinct definitions. Even though they are grammatically correct, this can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Then, how do you use “biweekly” correctly?
Sometimes, all that’s needed to clarify the meaning of “biweekly” is to provide additional context within the sentence. For instance:
“Our book club is quite active, with biweekly meetings dedicated to silent reading. Feel free to join us every Thursday and Friday.”
In this example, specifying the meeting days (Thursdays and Fridays) clearly conveys the “twice a week” meaning of “biweekly.”
Conversely, to ensure the “every two weeks” interpretation, consider this example:
“The psychiatrist recommended biweekly family counseling to help us cope with our grief and trauma. I was thinking of scheduling sessions on June 14th and 28th.”
Here, the proposed counseling dates (June 14th and 28th) explicitly indicate that the biweekly sessions occur every two weeks.
Biweekly Synonyms to Avoid Confusion
In real-life situations, you may need to make brief sentences, and adding context to “biweekly” may not always be easy. In such a case, consider using alternative words or phrases to “biweekly” to achieve clarity in your sentence. Here are some of our suggestions.
Replace “Biweekly” with “Twice a Week”
Example:
“I try to exercise twice a week, and the result is amazing.”
“My family and I had a twice-a-week tradition of going out for dinner, but we haven’t done it since my dad passed.”
Replace “Biweekly,” which Means “Every Two Weeks,” with:
1. “Every Two Weeks”
Example:
“I get a massage every two weeks to help me release stress and tension. You want to come with?”
“The ballet class meets every two weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
2. “Every Other Weeks”
Example:
“My sister and I get together every other week to feed the homeless.”
“The neighborhood community is very active this year, and they send out reminders for meetings every other week.”
3. “Fortnightly”
Example:
“The professor assigns new homework fortnightly to keep students engaged in the course material.”
“The club’s fortnightly newsletter keeps members informed about the latest event.”
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