semiannual

adjective

semi·​an·​nu·​al ˌse-mē-ˈan-yə(-wə)l How to pronounce semiannual (audio)
ˌse-ˌmī-, 
-mi-
: occurring every six months or twice a year
semiannually adverb

Examples of semiannual in a Sentence

my semiannual visit to my cousin
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The semiannual military exercise, called Combined Resolve, gave the US military a firsthand taste of how modern drone warfare has evolved on the battlefields of Ukraine. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026 After all, the company has run roughly semiannual buybacks for about a decade now. — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 There is active debate about whether public companies should move from quarterly to semiannual reporting. — Marc Blythe, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The top 500 series and films on Netflix’s semiannual list of view counts for the entire service accounted for 47 percent of series views and more than 51 percent of movie views, based on a Hollywood Reporter analysis of the data. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for semiannual

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of semiannual was in 1791

Rhymes for semiannual

See All Rhymes for semiannual

Browse Nearby Words

semiamphibious
semiannual
semiannually
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Semiannual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiannual. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

semiannual

adjective
semi·​an·​nu·​al ˌsem-ē-ˈan-yə(-wə)l How to pronounce semiannual (audio)
ˌsem-ˌī-
: occurring every six months or twice a year
semiannually
-ē
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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