adj
Common
quarterly
Quarterly (adj) means happening once every three months. Example: “Our quarterly review is held at the end of every third month.”
adj
1
Happening once every three months.
"Our quarterly review is held at the end of every third month."
"The board holds quarterly meetings."
"We receive a quarterly statement from the bank."
noun
1
A publication that comes out four times a year.
"The university publishes a quarterly full of essays and short stories."
"She subscribes to a literary quarterly."
"The article first appeared in an academic quarterly."
adv
1
Once every three months.
"Members are invoiced quarterly for their subscriptions to the club."
"Dividends are paid quarterly."
"Taxes for the business are filed quarterly."
How to use quarterly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHappening, or a publication appearing, four times a year.
Common pairings
quarterly report
quarterly earnings
paid quarterly
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Word forms
- Plural
- quarterlies
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Our _____ review is held at the end of every third month.
Etymology
From quarter + -ly.
Synonyms
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three-monthly
trimonthly
Related words
Rhymes for quarterly
See all rhymes for quarterly →Frequently asked questions
What does “quarterly” mean?
The word “quarterly” means happening once every three months. In plain terms, happening, or a publication appearing, four times a year.
How do you use “quarterly” in a sentence?
Here is “quarterly” used in a sentence: “The board holds quarterly meetings.”
What part of speech is “quarterly”?
Depending on how it is used, “quarterly” can be an adjective, a noun and an adverb.
Is “quarterly” a common word?
“Quarterly” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “quarterly” have?
“Quarterly” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: happening once every three months.
Does quarterly mean every three months or every four months?
Quarterly means every three months — four times a year — because it divides the year into four quarters. The confusion comes from the "four" hiding inside "quarter," but a quarter of a year is three months, so quarterly payments, reports, and meetings happen four times annually.
What months do quarterly periods cover?
In a standard calendar year, the quarters run January–March (Q1), April–June (Q2), July–September (Q3), and October–December (Q4). Quarterly deadlines therefore usually fall at the end of March, June, September, and December, though companies using fiscal years may set different quarter boundaries.
What is the difference between quarterly and semiannually?
Quarterly means once every three months, or four times a year. Semiannually — also called biannually — means twice a year, every six months. Biennially, which is easily confused with biannually, means once every two years.
What is a quarterly as a noun, as in "a literary quarterly"?
As a noun, a quarterly is a publication that comes out four times a year, typically a journal or magazine. Academic and literary journals are often published on this schedule, which is why "Quarterly" appears in so many of their titles.
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