Semiannual and Biannual are interchangeable, their definitions are the same. Since semi- means half or part, it will be easy to remember that you only need to wait part of a year before something semiannual happens again. The main difference between something that happens biannually vs. semiannually is the time between the events during the year. The prefix “bi” means “two” or “twice.” So, anything that happens two times per year regardless of the time between the occurrences is biannual.
- He has had steady two-quarts-a-day men, and men who were subject only to semiannual debauches.
- Other times, very similar words will refer to different ideas, introducing confusion.
- I will also show you a memory tool that you can use next time you can’t remember whether you’re describing something that is biannual or semiannual.
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However, there are some subtle differences between the context and implications of the words. While the debate may continue, you are now equipped to join the winning side in any situation. Words with overlapping meanings can be confusing, especially when pronunciations get thrown into the mix, but if you take special care to notice prefixes, you’ll do just fine. Knowing when to use the words is only half the battle; we want you to be able to say them properly too. Also, since ‘semi-’ and ‘bi-’ are such common prefixes, you’ll be able to transfer parts of these pronunciations to other new words you learn.
Semiannual vs. Biennial
Semiannual means an event that happens twice a year, every six months. Mark is granted a loan with a compound interest rate, and the interest rate is payable semi-annually. Biannual, biennial, and semiannual are adjectives that describe the frequency at which events occur. To this end, best practice is to write around the confusion introduced by these terms. Since biannual and biennial are the real problem, writer Bryan Garner (2016) recommends that you avoid them entirely, and use every other year instead. Semiannual refers to events that occur twice every year, usually six months apart.
Knowing that ‘semi-’ refers to something incomplete helps remind us that a ‘Semiannual’ event occurs twice in one year. Additionally, since ‘semi-’ refers to half of something, we see how it can correlate to just half of the year. Explore similar terms that are often used synonymously but have subtly different meanings, such as transparent, translucent and opaque.
More Words You Always Have to Look Up
You also should know that “bi-annual” can also mean something that happens every other year, whereas semi-annual only has one meaning. The meanings of these words are so identical that many questions if there’s a difference between semi-annual vs. bi-annual. Semi-annual vs. bi-annual have nearly identical meanings that it can be head-scratching to know which one to use.
In this article, we’ll teach you the differences between these two confusing terms and the best choice when describing something that happens twice a year. A third adjective, biennial, describes something that occurs every other year. This term is often confused with biannual due to their similarity in spelling. Semi-annual and semiannual are exactly the same and can be written either without or without the hyphen. If the company’s centennial celebration happens 100 years after its incorporation, then the biennial recruitment drive occurs once every two years.
- For the sake of clarity, it would be best to avoid all of these terms and simply write twice a year or every other year.
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- Seeing that the meeting is set semi-annual, it will occur twice a year.
- However, just because an event is held semiannually doesn’t mean that occurrences have to be exactly six months apart.
- The most common word you’ve probably seen is centennial, which means every 100 years, or millennial, which is a tech-savvy thirty-something who is probably running your IT department.
- Biannual and semiannual are often used synonymously, meaning the same definition is applied to both.
Because these two words are synonyms, there is no need to remember anything to distinguish the two. I’m an ESL teacher with over 7 years of experience in providing original content. I really like writing educational articles which may help others learn some aspects of English. Learn English online and practice with an English tutor on LiveXP to figure out the difference and how to use these words.
Phrases with ‘Semiannual’
Can you think of any other subtleties that might dictate when you use biannual or semiannual? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to explore other confusing words so that you can make sure you’re using them properly. Furthermore, it often makes sense to use semiannually vs. biannually because it removes any potential misinterpretation about exactly what biannual means. Let’s take a closer look at the individual meanings of ‘Semiannual’ vs ‘Biannual’ to gain some clarity.
The company decides it will start paying its shareholders dividends to distribute a portion of the earnings. Business can state payment periods, loans, or meetings as semi-annually. For example, if the bond paid the yield annually, the bondholder would receive $100 a year. The main difference between semiannual and biennial is that semiannual refers to something that happens twice a year, while biennial refers to something that happens every two years. Mark sets up an organizational meeting semi-annually to discuss the loan with other stakeholders. Seeing that the meeting is set semi-annual, it will occur twice a year.
Final Advice on ‘Semiannual’ vs ‘Biannual’
For example, a company could have company parties semiannually, a couple could celebrate their marriage semiannually, and a family could go on vacation semiannually. You have been invited to a biannual event, but then later you see it referred to as a semiannual event. ABC’s management decides it will distribute a dividend of $0.50 for every share. Mark currently does not have the money to pay for the needed materials to meet his requests. Mark decides to take out a loan to cover the capital that he needs to fulfil the orders.
However, writers must balance clarity with concision, making semiannual a useful choice for something that happens at that frequency. The word biennial is usually used to mean “occurring every two years,” but its similarity to biannual makes a misunderstanding possible. An example of semiannual in finance would be a bond that pays the bondholder interest semiannually. This means the bond would make an interest payment twice a year, usually six months apart. So a bondholder would receive the first interest payment in June, for example, and the second payment in December.
Also, you may see this word with a hyphen, semi-annual, or written as two words with a space between each, semi annual. At the end of the day, biannual and semiannual can be used interchangeably. However, remembering that biannual technically means “twice a year” and semiannual means “every half year” is a small but pivotal detail when you are deciding which word to use. Biannual is an adjective which means occurring twice a year, the adverb form is biannually. We believe that sustainable investing is not just an important climate solution, but a smart way to invest. We follow ethical journalism practices, which includes presenting unbiased information and citing reliable, attributed resources.
You should use the term “bi-annual” to refer to an event that occurs every other year. Often, you will find competitions, contests, special events, or performances using “bi-annual” rather than semi-annual. Let’s say you have a meeting that happens twice a year – this would be considered semiannual. If you have a meeting that happens every two years, that would be biennial. We strive to empower readers with the most factual and reliable climate finance information possible to help them make informed decisions. Our writing and editorial staff are a team of experts holding advanced financial designations and have written for most major financial media publications.
Semiannual is also an adjective, and it also describes something that happens twice a year. Biennial is an adjective which means occurring every two years, or every other year. Also, a biennial plant is one that takes two years to grow from its planting to its death. Biennial comes from the Latin biennium, which means a two year period. This team of experts helps Carbon Collective maintain the highest level of accuracy and professionalism possible. Our team of reviewers are established professionals with years of experience in areas of personal finance and climate.
Semiannual means every six months since the prefix semi means every half year. This, however, is such a small distinction that it is widely accepted to use these terms interchangeably. Biannual and semiannual are often used synonymously, meaning the same definition is applied to both. So, to answer “semi-annual vs. bi-annual, which one to use,” You can effectively choose between the two words based on whether the timing of the occurrences is a relevant factor.
A semi-annual loan payment starting on 1 January 2019 would require the first payment on 1 January and on 1 July. Semiannual (sometimes written as semi-annual), also known as bi-annual, is when an biannual vs semiannual event occurs twice a year, every six months. Semiannual is an adjective that describes something that is paid, reported, published, or otherwise takes place twice each year, typically once every six months. Carbon Collective is the first online investment advisor 100% focused on solving climate change. A company can issue reports on their financial statements semi-annually.
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