biennial
2 synonyms and 3 antonyms for biennial, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Happening once every two years.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
two-yearly
biyearly
Antonyms
How to use biennial
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
biennial review
biennial report
biennial exhibition
Neutral. The plant sense is standard gardening vocabulary.
Etymology
From Latin biennium, a period of two years, from bi- meaning two and annus meaning year.
Full origin of biennial →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between biennial and biannual?
Biennial means once every two years, while biannual means twice within one year. The two are confused so often that careful writers replace them with the plain phrases every two years and twice a year.
What is the difference between biennial, annual and perennial plants?
An annual germinates, flowers, seeds and dies within a single year. A biennial spreads that cycle over two years, growing leaves in the first and flowering in the second. A perennial lives on for several years, flowering again each season.
