quadrennial

adjective

qua·​dren·​ni·​al kwä-ˈdre-nē-əl 

1

: consisting of or lasting for four years

2

: 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

Traditionally, foreign ambassadors and their spouses represent their governments at the quadrennial event. —Fin Gómez, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2024

The documentary of the two major parties’ presidential nominees has been a quadrennial tradition, and its filmmaker, Michael Kirk, had weeks earlier screened a four-hour rough cut of Biden vs. Trump. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024

The quadrennial international soccer championship follows this summer’s Copa América games hosted in the U.S., which were riven with criticisms about the quality and conditions of the playing surfaces. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2024

Races will take place in its streets and in the river that makes up its heart and soul, and millions from around the world are making their way to France to take part in the quadrennial festivities. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 25 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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