twice a year

IPA/twˈaɪs ɐ jˈiə/
IPA/twˈaɪs ɐ jˈɪɹ/

twice a year — idiom

1. used to say that something happens or is done two times during each year

1.idiomA2
Definition

used to say that something happens or is done two times during each year

Example

The dentist asks Mira to come back twice a year for cleanings.

come back twice a year for regular care

Our club prints a newsletter twice a year, in January and July.

twice a year with named times

Common collocations
  • meet twice a year
  • publish twice a year
  • visit twice a year
  • check twice a year
Synonyms
  • semiannually

    more formal and common in schedules, reports, and official writing

  • every six months

    more explicit about the time gap between the two events

  • biannually

    formal but sometimes avoided because some readers find it unclear

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

do something twice a year

happen twice a year

Usage Note

Often comes after a verb to show how often an event repeats in a year. It is a plain time-frequency phrase, not a fixed date, so speakers often add the months or seasons when the two events happen.

Common Mistakes

We meet twice in a year.
We meet twice a year.
English normally drops 'in' in this frequency phrase.
The exam is twice per years.
The exam is twice a year.
use the singular 'year' after the phrase.

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

This time phrase joins 'twice', from an Old English form meaning 'two times', with 'year', from Old English 'gear'. Together they mark a repeated event that happens two times within one year, often with roughly six months between the two occasions.