Definition of bi-monthly
We are having an internal debate and really decided to take it to the masses. Completely unrelated to what we actually do, but for the benefit of our clients and the hopes of overturning the definition in Webster we are petitioning you to help us fight the good fight.
According to Webster and Dictionary.com - bi-monthly means twice a month AND once in every two months. We want to stop the madness. Help us overturn the definition - pick a side and stand by it.
Tell us what bi-monthly means to you if you had to choose:
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Tags: bi-monthly
August 14th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I think it’s both. However, if I had to choose one, I’d say…
bimonthly is every other month
semi monthly is twice a month (or more)
Question: what is bi-weekly?
August 14th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Thanks Sietsema for adding to our pain and agony by adding in “what is bi-weekly?” Baby steps, baby steps. Will it ever end?
August 14th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
What about bi-sexual ?
August 14th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
It is definitely every two months. Bi means two, not half, as in bicycle (two wheels) and biped (two feet, or whatever).
In response to the biweekly question, is every two weeks. The most common scenario here is with paychecks if you are paid biweekly you are paid for instance, every other Friday, so in certain cases you may get three paychecks in a month. August 2008 would be a good example of this, since there are 5 Fridays.
Semi-monthly is twice a month based on a particular date as in the 5th and 20th, regardless of the number of days in the month and how they fall.
In the grand scheme of things, biweekly often works out to an extra paycheck a year versus semi-monthly.
August 18th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Thanks everyone! Keep up the good work. We are at 147 votes.
August 18th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
how hard is this?
bi-weekly (every other week)
bi-monthly (Every other month)
its like calling a millimeter a meter.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:54 am
[...] means both twice a month and once every two months… Seriously. What do you think? Poll it up!http://www.libertyinteractivemarketing.com/blog/definition-of-bi-monthly/ [...]
September 14th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Semi-monthly would be once every two months. Bi-monthly should be twice a month.
September 14th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Bi-weekly is every 2 weeks
so bi-monthly is every two months
September 14th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Hi everyone, we’re at 292 votes. Keep ‘em coming! Thanks for your support.
September 15th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Voted for ‘twice a month’ going on the analogy of ‘bisecting an angle’ and thereby splitting in two.
However, semi-monthly may hold a stronger argument for that position, as semi- implies less than the suffix.
Finding it amusing that the vote is barely in favor of ‘twice a month’, even though most of the common sense arguments in the comments would point to ‘every two months’.
November 6th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
It ca not be both definitions since they are very different. it is the former if you look at it by defining the segments of the word