You’re sitting in a meeting. Your boss says the new newsletter is going "bimonthly." Half the room thinks they’re getting an email every two weeks. The other half is clearing their calendar for a once-every-two-months update. Someone is going to be wrong. Actually, everyone might be wrong because the meaning of bimonthly is a linguistic train wreck that’s been ruining schedules for decades.
It’s confusing. Honestly, it’s one of the few words in the English language that functions as its own antonym. If you look it up in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, you’ll find two definitions that flat-out contradict each other. One says "occurring every two months." The other says "occurring twice a month."
How did we get here? It's basically a tug-of-war between the prefix "bi-" meaning two and the frequency of the event itself. We use "biweekly" to mean every two weeks, but we also use it to mean twice a week. It’s a mess.
The Great Frequency Debate: What Does Bimonthly Actually Mean?
If you're looking for a straight answer, the most common professional usage of the meaning of bimonthly is "every two months." Think about a magazine subscription. If a publication is bimonthly, you get six issues a year. January, March, May, and so on.
But then you have the banking world. Or payroll.
In payroll circles, people often use "bimonthly" when they actually mean semimonthly. Semimonthly means twice a month, usually on the 1st and the 15th. If you get paid bimonthly in the literal "every two months" sense, you’re going to be very hungry by week six.
The prefix "bi-" comes from Latin. It just means "two." It doesn't specify if it's dividing the month by two or multiplying the month by two. That’s the core of the frustration. When you say "bimonthly," you are technically correct whether you mean six times a year or twenty-four times a year.
That’s a huge range. It’s the difference between a casual hobby and a full-time obsession.
Why We Use "Semi" to Save Our Sanity
To keep things clear, style guides like the Associated Press (AP) and the Oxford English Dictionary suggest using "semi-" for things that happen twice in a period.
- Semimonthly: Twice a month (about every 15 days).
- Bimonthly: Every two months (six times a year).
This sounds simple, right? It isn't. People ignore style guides. In casual conversation, "semi" feels stiff and academic. People want to say "bi." It feels punchy. It feels right. But it's almost always the start of a massive misunderstanding.
If you’re a freelancer and a client offers a bimonthly contract, you better ask for dates. You need to know if you're checking in every 14 days or every 60. One pays the rent; the other is a side hustle.
Real World Chaos: When the Meaning of Bimonthly Breaks Business
Let's look at real sectors where this causes actual problems. In the magazine industry, the meaning of bimonthly is strictly "every other month." Famous titles like Harvard Business Review (which actually moved away from this) or various niche hobbyist magazines often run on this schedule. It saves on printing costs. It allows for longer, more researched pieces.
But then look at social media marketing.
If a social media manager says they provide bimonthly reports, and the client expects them every two weeks to pivot their strategy, but the manager only sends one every eight weeks, that contract is getting canceled. This isn't just a grammar debate. It’s about expectations and money.
The Payroll Problem
Most Americans are paid biweekly. That’s 26 paychecks a year.
Some are paid semimonthly. That’s 24 paychecks a year.
Hardly anyone is paid bimonthly. If you were, you’d receive six paychecks. Imagine trying to budget for your mortgage when you only get paid in February, April, June, August, October, and December. You’d need a massive savings account or a very understanding landlord.
The confusion stems from people mixing up "biweekly" and "bimonthly." Because there are roughly four weeks in a month, people assume two weeks is half a month, so they swap the terms. But a month isn't 28 days (except for February). Those extra days in March, August, and October add up.
How to Talk Like a Pro (And Avoid the Trap)
Since the meaning of bimonthly is essentially a coin flip, the best way to handle it is to stop using the word entirely. It sounds professional until it doesn't.
If you want to be understood, use "every two months." It’s three words. It’s impossible to misinterpret. No one has ever heard "every two months" and thought, "Oh, they mean twice a month."
If you mean twice a month, say "twice a month." Or say "semimonthly" if you want to sound like you have an MBA, though even then, you should probably follow up with the specific dates.
The "Every Other" Alternative
Another way to bridge the gap is using the word "fortnightly." Americans hate this word. They think it sounds like something out of a Victorian novel or a game of Fortnite. But in the UK and Australia, "fortnightly" is the gold standard. It means exactly fourteen nights. It's precise. It's clean.
💡 You might also like: Walmart Stocking and Unloading: What the Job is Really Like in 2026
In the US, we’re stuck with "every other week." It’s clunky, but it works.
Why Dictionaries Haven't Fixed This Yet
You’d think the gatekeepers of language would just pick a side. They won’t. Dictionaries describe how people actually speak; they don't prescribe how we should speak.
Because millions of people use the word incorrectly, the "incorrect" version becomes a secondary definition. It’s a feedback loop of ambiguity. Language evolves, but sometimes it evolves into a dead end. This is one of those times.
Bryan Garner, the author of Garner's Modern English Usage, notes that this ambiguity makes the word "bimonthly" a "skunked word." A skunked word is one that is so disputed that any use of it distracts the reader. Instead of thinking about your project, they’re thinking about which definition you’re using. You’ve lost them.
A Quick Check for Context
Sometimes context helps you decode the meaning of bimonthly without asking.
- Subscription Costs: If a magazine costs $30 a year and says it's bimonthly, it's almost certainly "every two months." $5 per issue makes sense. $1.25 per issue (if it were 24 times a year) does not.
- Meeting Schedules: If it’s a high-level executive board, bimonthly usually means every two months. If it’s a "stand-up" for a coding team, they probably mean twice a month.
- Bill Cycles: Utilities are almost always every month or every two months.
The Scientific and Technical Exception
In some very specific scientific fields, the prefix "bi-" is treated with more rigidity. In mathematics, a "bimonthly" function might be strictly defined in a paper to avoid error. But even then, a good researcher will define their terms in the abstract.
💡 You might also like: Sterlite Technology Stock Price: What Most People Get Wrong
If scientists don't trust the word, you shouldn't either.
Actionable Steps to Clear the Confusion
Stop letting "bi-words" ruin your productivity. Whether you're an employee, a business owner, or just someone trying to organize a book club, clarity is your best friend.
- Audit your contracts: Look at any service agreement that uses the term "bimonthly." Email the provider. Ask: "Just to be clear, does this mean six times a year or twenty-four?"
- Update your style guide: If you run a business, ban the word. Tell your team to use "semimonthly" or "every two months" in all internal and external communications.
- Use dates, not terms: When scheduling recurring meetings in Outlook or Google Calendar, don’t just title it "Bimonthly Sync." Title it "1st and 15th Sync" or "Every 2nd Month Sync."
- Ask for clarification immediately: If someone uses the word in a conversation, don't nod and pretend you know what they mean. Interrupt politely: "Wait, do you mean twice a month or every other month?"
The meaning of bimonthly is whatever the person speaking wants it to mean at that moment. That's a recipe for disaster. By being the person who asks for clarification, you aren't being "annoying" or "pedantic." You're being the most efficient person in the room.
Moving forward, treat the word as a red flag. It’s a sign that communication might be breaking down. Stick to plain English, and you'll never miss a deadline—or a paycheck—ever again.
Next Steps for Absolute Clarity
- Review your current calendar for any "Bi-weekly" or "Bi-monthly" recurring events and rename them with specific frequencies (e.g., "Every 2 Weeks").
- In your next team meeting, establish a "No-Bi" rule for scheduling to ensure everyone is on the same page.
- If you are a content creator, check your "About" or "Subscription" pages to ensure your delivery frequency is stated in plain numbers (e.g., "12 issues per year") rather than ambiguous terms.