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What does "bi-monthly" mean to you?

Which way do you use it?

  • Twice a month

    Votes: 708 39.0%

  • Once every 2 months

    Votes: 1,024 56.4%

  • I use both!

    Votes: 84 4.6%
  • Total voters
    1,816
Curler

Curler

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,600
After watching this, I honestly never thought about it, nor did I know that it officially HAS 2 meanings. To me, bi-monthly means "once every 2 months" and bi-weekly means "once every 2 weeks". Never really thought of it being "twice a week/month" but it does make sense! So let's poll it: which do you use?


www.youtube.com

You Know What’s BS!? The Word Bimonthly

You Know What’s BS!? The Word Bimonthly! (YKWBS Episode 37.) The BS is back, but while we were planning these new episodes, we we're considering releasing th...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 
hjort

hjort

Member
Nov 9, 2017
4,096
Wow, I had never thought about this either. But to me, bi-monthly means once every two months.
 
Syder

Syder

The Moyes are Back in Town
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
12,543
Biannually - Twice a year
Bimonthly - Twice a month
Biweekly - Twice a week
Fortnightly - Every 2 weeks
 
djplaeskool

djplaeskool

Member
Oct 26, 2017
19,736
I've always taken the HR meaning:
Bi-monthly = exactly twice a month.
eg. You get paid every 1st and 15th of the month, regardless of where those days fall
 
Aurica

Aurica

音楽オタク - Comics Council 2020
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
23,482
A mountain in the US
Such a frustrating prefix when it comes to time. I always think of bimonthly and biweekly as "every other ___," rather than "twice in a ___." In publishing, it's mostly consistent. When individuals I talk to say it, though, there is zero consistency.

I could see someone arguing that bi should be every other and semi should be twice, but it's too late for that!
 

Deleted member 2802

Community Resetter
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
33,729
Syder said:
Biweekly - Twice a week
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zombiejames said:
Twice a month is bi-weekly.
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548636754740248586.png
 
Lumination

Lumination

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,469
In publishing, bi- usually means once every two. Especially considering we have semiweekly and semimonthly or mean twice a ___.
 
OP
OP
Curler

Curler

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,600
I have "bi-weekly" meetings which are every second week and get paid "bi-weekly", so I think things like that affirm my way of thinking. Poll is almost split on this too, but "once-every 2 weeks/months" is leading by a bit.
 
cakely

cakely

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,149
Chicago
It is a terrible term, but when I see it used "bi-monthly meetings" it means twice a month.

It's defined as both: "twice a month" and "once every two months."
 
Marshall

Marshall

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,980
Once every two months.

HR and others always have referred to being paid biweekly (every 2 weeks).
Something occurring twice in a month, I've always referred to as twice-monthly to avoid this exact scenario.
 
Truly Gargantuan

Truly Gargantuan

Still doesn't have a tag :'(
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,034
Between this thread and the deceptively easy thread I'm REELING

Bi-monthly is twice a month.
 
Heynongman!

Heynongman!

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,928
bi-monthly means ever other month or once ever two months. Bi weekly would be twice a month.

Also yeah, semi-monthly is a term that can mean twice a month.
 
PrivateWHudson

PrivateWHudson

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,215
If you want once every two months, do everyone a favor and just say "every other month", or "odd months", or "even months".
 
Heynongman!

Heynongman!

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,928
Hollywood Duo said:
But Bi means two not "every other"
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But english doesn't make sense ever. In fact, officially the words mean both things.

www.merriam-webster.com

On 'Biweekly' and 'Bimonthly'

Sorry, not sorry
www.merriam-webster.com www.merriam-webster.com

The problem lies in the prefix bi-: it means (among other things) both "coming or occurring every two," AND "coming or occurring two times." This too is a long-established fact that we cannot ignore. English is sometimes simply obstreperous.
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Syder

Syder

The Moyes are Back in Town
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
12,543
shira said:
548636754740248586.png
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This seems to just be a distinction between North American English-speakers and the rest of the English-speaking world, if you look at the wiki definition for biweekly it says this.

Seeing as America can't get dates right, I'm gonna say the rest of us got this one right.
 
Mankoto

Mankoto

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,375
For work I use Bi-Weekly meaning every 2 weeks, so Bi-monthly would be every 2 months
 
Triggerhappytel

Triggerhappytel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,020
I've always thought of it as twice a month, but I just found out a few years ago it can mean either. But in my mind I still associate it with twice monthly.
 

Deleted member 8468

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
9,109
Honestly every time this has been brought up in life I've asked some contextual questions to figure out the time frame they mean. Despite what is actually correct I've seen people use it both ways.
 
//DEVIL//

//DEVIL//

Banned
Aug 13, 2018
363
bi-monthly.. means the month like it both ways men and women hahaaiii

ehm

,,,once every 2 months ,,,,
 
Aurica

Aurica

音楽オタク - Comics Council 2020
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
23,482
A mountain in the US
Syder said:
This seems to just be a distinction between North American English-speakers and the rest of the English-speaking world, if you look at the wiki definition for biweekly it says this.
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But North Americans use both, and it's inconsistent. Are you sure the rest of the English-speaking world is consistent?
 
WedgeX

WedgeX

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,172
It should definitely never be shortened. Bi-monthly, bi-yearly, bi-weekly. All are too confusing when adding a few more letters/words would suffice.
 
Syder

Syder

The Moyes are Back in Town
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
12,543
Aizō said:
But North Americans use both and it's inconsistent. Are you sure the rest of the English-speaking world is consistent?
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Speaking from a UK and Ireland perspective, I'd say we're consistent on this, although probably much more likely to just say fortnightly instead of bimonthly.

I can't speak for Aus, NZ, South Africa, etc.
 
tangeu

tangeu

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,229
If bimonthly means once every two months does bicycle mean there's one wheel for every two vehicles?
 
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