noun
fortnight
FAWT-nyt
noun
1
A period of two weeks.
"We're going on holiday for a fortnight in August."
How to Use Fortnight
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTwo weeks, counted the old way — by nights rather than days.
UK vs US
Common in British and Australian English; rarely used in American English, where "two weeks" is standard.
Common pairings
a fortnight ago
in a fortnight
fortnight's notice
Word Forms
fortnights plural
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We're going on holiday for a _____ in August.
Etymology
From Old English feowertiene niht, literally "fourteen nights" — the Anglo-Saxons counted time by nights rather than days.