quadrennial
adjective
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
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 June 2026
The World Cup provides ample opportunity for soccer fans, any sports fans, to go full-throttle into the quadrennial tournament.
—Pj Green
june 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
No team from the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia or North America has won soccer’s quadrennial festival.
—Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Their first game for this quadrennial event is in Atlanta on Monday, when World Cup tournament favorite Spain faces Cape Verde.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for quadrennial
Cite this Entry
“Quadrennial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quadrennial. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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