What does the word ‘bimonthly’ mean to you?

[superoz]

Had a discussion at work, it always meant every two months to me but my boss meant twice a month!

According to the Oxford English Dictionary it has two meanings which is rather confusing. So just curious as to how many think like I do, and how many think the other way?

In legal drafting we avoid it because of the official double meaning.

I would have said twice a month

As bi-annual in my line of work means twice a year

Biannual plants have a two year life cycle.

No - it's biennial plants.

I understand it to have 2 possible meanings so would always clarify.

Every 2 months

It means "ask wtf the person means by it" when someone else uses the term. I avoid it for exactly that reason.

I would take it to mean every other month. I've never actually heard anyone use the term though.

Every second month to me.

Although it's not the clearest of phrases so best avoided in business terms.

Hope your boss isn't giving you into trouble!

Every other month

If you were talking about years not months, there are two words (biannual meaning twice a year and biennial meaning every other year). There's no monthly equivalent which is I suppose why it can mean both.

Personally I'd assume it meant twice a month with no other info given.

Basically - avoid this word

It was twice a month when I worked in admin. We had bi-monthly meetings, stationery orders etc.

Every 2 months.

Hope your boss isn't giving you into trouble!

Fortunately he is quite laid back. There was a task he put down as “check bimonthly”, asked if I could check on it this morning. I said I did a check in February and he said it needed checking twice a month, so we had a discussion on how best to phrase that!

I said fortnightly

Interesting how many think one way, and then the other.

Every other month, bi-weekly or you know, fortnightly, is twice per month!

It can mean both. For me it is more likely to mean once every two months. (I collect old SF magazines and comics. In the publishing industry 'bi-monthly' is used for periodicals published 6 times a year. Once every two months. The few magazines that are published twice a month - like Private Eye - are usually referred to as are being published 'fortnightly'.

The bi- suffix is confusing though. 'Biannual' means twice a year and 'biennial' means once every two years.

Every other month.

If you google biweekly or bi monthly itgives both definitions, either twice a week / month or once every two weeks / months

No - it's biennial plants.

Oh yeah. “Wanders off looking sheepish”

Anyway. Why would you say bi monthly to mean twice a month? Wouldn’t you just say twice a month?

Once every other month

Mmmm tricky one!! Good thread haha
I’d say every other month but I really don’t know!

Every other month.

I once heard biscuit means baked twice

It does mean that

I wasn't sure about the bi-monthly so checked the dictionary and it says it can mean either so both are right, probaly better to avoid it or clarify what you mean if you must use it.

I refuse to define it and tell people at work not to use this term for this very reason, to use unambiguous terms instead!

Every other month.

That term is probably out of date now though and should be changed to 'panmonthly' .........
….....….....................................
...... joke

Every other month.