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fortnight
noun
fort·night
ˈfȯrt-ˌnīt
: a period of 14 days : two weeks
They stayed with us for a fortnight.
Examples of fortnight in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The trip to Nottingham Forest was Villa’s 24th match of the campaign and their fifth in a fortnight.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Recent storms Helene and Milton, which arrived within a fortnight of one another, have already resulted in $1.4 billion and $2.4 billion worth of damage, respectively.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Only a fortnight ago, prospects for survival at Portman Road looked bleak.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Katie Wiseman Taylor Swift will be in Indianapolis for her concerts in only a fortnight.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Oct. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English fourtenight, alteration of fourtene night, from Old English fēowertȳne niht fourteen nights
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of fortnight was
before the 12th century
Articles Related to fortnight
Dictionary Entries Near fortnight
Cite this Entry
“Fortnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortnight. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
fortnight
noun
fort·night
ˈfōrt-ˌnīt
ˈfȯrt-
: a period of 14 days : two weeks
fortnightly
adverb or adjective
-lē
Etymology
Old English fēowertȳne niht "fourteen nights"
More from Merriam-Webster on fortnight
Nglish: Translation of fortnight for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of fortnight for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fortnight
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