Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Occurring twice a week: Describes an event, publication, or activity that happens two times in a single week.
2. Adverb:
   • Twice a week: Describes the frequency with which an action is performed, meaning two times every week.
3. Noun:
   • A periodical that is published twice each week: A publication, such as a magazine or newspaper, that is issued two times per week (typically resulting in 104 issues per year).

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The team holds semiweekly meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • She is responsible for writing the semiweekly progress report.
• Adverb:
  • The committee convenes semiweekly.
  • He volunteers at the shelter semiweekly.
• Noun:
  • I subscribe to the local semiweekly for community news.
  • The semiweekly is delivered every Wednesday and Saturday.

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes cause confusion because the prefix "semi-" often means "half" or "partially." However, in this specific context, "semiweekly" unambiguously means "twice per week." For clarity, some style guides recommend using "biweekly" for "twice a week" and "fortnightly" for "every two weeks," but note that "biweekly" itself is also ambiguous as it can mean both "twice a week" and "every two weeks."

Variants and Related Words

• Biweekly: An adjective, adverb, or noun that can mean either "occurring twice a week" or "occurring every two weeks." Its meaning is often determined by context.
• Fortnightly (chiefly British): An adjective or adverb meaning "occurring or appearing once every two weeks."

Synonyms

• Adjective/Adverb: Twice-weekly, biweekly (in one of its meanings).
• Noun: Twice-weekly publication.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Not commonly applicable for this word.)

Related Idioms

(Not commonly applicable for this word.)

Adjective

1. occurring twice a week

Adverb

1. twice a week
   • he called home semiweekly

Noun

1. a periodical that is published twice each week (or 104 issues per year)