Well, unless we provide them with a contextual clue, they don't. Some people prefer to usesemiannualto refer to something that occurs twice a year, reservingbiannualfor things that occur once every two years. This practice is hardly universal among English speakers, however, andbiannualremains...
Popular in Wordplay See All Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine 8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments 10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version) 9 Superb Owl Words 15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different...
Occurring twice a year. Contrast with biennial, which means occurring every 2 years. If an adjustable-rate mortgage provides for rate changes biannually or biennially, it's important to know the difference. The Complete Real Estate Encyclopedia by Denise L. Evans, JD & O. William Evans, JD....
Some people prefer to use semiannual to refer to something that occurs twice a year, reserving biannual for things that occur once every two years. This practice is hardly universal among English speakers, however, and biannual remains a potentially ambiguous word. Fortunately, English also ...