Does anybody else...?

115 readers

1 users here now

The place for asking whether anybody else does the same stupid stuff like you do

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

hardypart

DAE refuse to use the word "biweekly" because it has two different definitions? (self.doesanybodyelse)

submitted 5 months ago by LemmyKnowsBest to c/doesanybodyelse

8 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Just say what you mean:

"every 2 weeks," or

"twice a week."

Pick the one you mean.

Because unfortunately "biweekly" can mean either of those things, which kinda makes the word useless.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] placatedmayhem 6 points 5 months ago

There are two definitions, according to the major dictionaries I can view (OED requires a subscription):

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biweekly https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/biweekly https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/biweekly https://www.dictionary.com/browse/biweekly

So, the usage of biweekly as a synonym for semi-weekly is sufficiently high enough to land it in the dictionary, alongside a definition of every-two-weeks, and make biweekly an ambiguous and confusing term.