quadrennial

adjective

qua·dren·ni·al kwä-ˈdre-nē-əl

: consisting of or lasting for four years

: occurring or being done every four years

quadrennial noun

quadrennially

kwä-ˈdre-nē-ə-lē

adverb

Did you know?

Most things quadrennial occur every four years (that's the more common use). We can say, for example, that the U.S. presidential election is a quadrennial event. But we can also say that president's term in office is quadrennial, making good use of the "lasting four years" sense. The Latin combining form quadri- adds a factor of four to many English words: quadriceps (the thigh muscle, which has four parts), quadrilateral (a four-sided polygon), quadragenarian (a person in his or her 40s), and quadricentennial (a 400th anniversary), to name a few. The -ennial part of quadrennial has the same root as in biennial and centennial; all trace back to annus, the Latin word for "year."

Examples of quadrennial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Sure the Euros, the quadrennial championship for FIFA’s 55-member European confederation, is difficult. —

Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2024 Advertisement Sure the Euros, the quadrennial championship for FIFA’s 55-member European confederation, is difficult. —

Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024 The move means the most dramatic and obvious reason for Democrats to hold their quadrennial meetings will once again be held over Zoom instead of in person, even though the convention is poised to continue as scheduled. —

Ed O'Keefe, CBS News, 28 May 2024 Peacock’s pockets Peacock's price bumps appear to be a way for the younger streaming service to inch closer to profitability amid a major, quadrennial, global event. —

Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 1 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for quadrennial

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quadrennial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.