Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I was recently invited to another biweekly meeting. I had no idea when to show up, and I could tell no one else in the room did either because the announcement was met with confused silence. The problem with the word “biweekly” is that its dictionary definition is both “every other week” and “twice per week.” It thus becomes a meaningless word that you should never use.
What can you say instead? “Twice weekly” and “every other week” are less concise, but they’re clearer. In situations where you can’t be both concise and clear—which are very rare, by the way—choose clarity. It’s most important that your audience understands you, not that you get the message out in as few words as humanly possible.
It’s time to retire biweekly. “Twice weekly” and “every other week” are acceptable substitutes—unless you want people showing up way more or way less than they should.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminutecom for more tips and tricks.