Meaning & use
triannual
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Happening three times a year, usually about every four months.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a triannual meeting. Also after 'be': The meeting is triannual.
Patterns
- triannual meeting
- triannual report
- triannual event
The committee holds triannual meetings in January, May, and September.
Our triannual newsletter comes out three times a year.
The company conducts triannual reviews of its safety procedures.
Common combinations
- triannual meeting
- The triannual meeting is scheduled for next month.
- triannual report
- The triannual report covers the first four months of the year.
- triannual basis
- The data is collected on a triannual basis.
Synonyms and how they differ
- three times a year
- A phrase that is clearer and more common in everyday speech; 'triannual' is more formal.
- quarterly
- Means four times a year, so it is not a true synonym; be careful not to mix them up.
Word family
- triannually adverb
- In a way that happens three times a year.
Commonly confused: triannual or biannual? triannual or triennial?
triannual vs biannual
This means twice a year, not three times. 'Triannual' is often confused with it because both contain 'annual' and refer to multiple times per year.
triannual vs triennial
This means every three years, not three times a year. The similar spelling can cause confusion.
Practice
If a club has triannual gatherings, how often do they meet?
Choose one answer.
'Triannual' means three times a year. 'Twice a year' is 'biannual', 'every three years' is 'triennial', and 'once every three months' would be quarterly (four times a year).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “triannual”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.