quadrennial
adjective
qua·dren·ni·al kwä-ˈdre-nē-əl 
1
: consisting of or lasting for four years
2
: occurring or being done every four years
quadrennial noun
quadrennially
kwä-ˈdre-nē-ə-lē
adverb 
Did you know?
Most things quadrennial occur every four years (that's the more common use). We can say, for example, that the U.S. presidential election is a quadrennial event. But we can also say that president's term in office is quadrennial, making good use of the "lasting four years" sense. The Latin combining form quadri- adds a factor of four to many English words: quadriceps (the thigh muscle, which has four parts), quadrilateral (a four-sided polygon), quadragenarian (a person in his or her 40s), and quadricentennial (a 400th anniversary), to name a few. The -ennial part of quadrennial has the same root as in biennial and centennial; all trace back to annus, the Latin word for "year."
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The quadrennial Olympic-like sports festival for masters athletes, those competing at over 30 years old with some over 100, will feature as many as 30 medal-contending sports, including track and field, tennis, basketball, pickleball and cycling. 
Marc Bona, cleveland, 30 Aug. 2022 The protocol allowed each congregation to vote its preference between a more traditional or more liberal denomination—and was expected to be approved at the General Conference’s quadrennial assembly in Minneapolis that year. Mark Tooley, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 The festival comes courtesy of the folks behind the quadrennial Cleveland International Piano Competition. Marc Bona, cleveland, 19 July 2022 From capital infrastructure such as the new Fire Station venue in Sunderland to the quadrennial City of Culture celebrations, communities up and down the country are investing in culture, in the widest sense of the word. Shain Shapiro, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Usually, the ceremonies for the Fields, the Abacus and other awards take place as part of the International Congress of Mathematics, a quadrennial gathering of mathematicians. New York Times, 5 July 2022 Other Shanghai residents pointed to Saturday’s announcement by the Asian Football Confederation that China had withdrawn from hosting the quadrennial Asian Cup soccer tournament, originally slated to be staged in the summer of 2023. Natasha Khan, WSJ, 15 May 2022 It has been unremittingly condemned in the quadrennial party platforms of one of America’s two major parties, a party that has won half of the presidential elections since Roe. Akhil Reed Amar, WSJ, 13 May 2022 Never before had so many athletes participated in the quadrennial games. Dan Chapman, ajc, 26 July 2016 See More
Marc Bona, cleveland, 30 Aug. 2022 The protocol allowed each congregation to vote its preference between a more traditional or more liberal denomination—and was expected to be approved at the General Conference’s quadrennial assembly in Minneapolis that year. Mark Tooley, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 The festival comes courtesy of the folks behind the quadrennial Cleveland International Piano Competition. Marc Bona, cleveland, 19 July 2022 From capital infrastructure such as the new Fire Station venue in Sunderland to the quadrennial City of Culture celebrations, communities up and down the country are investing in culture, in the widest sense of the word. Shain Shapiro, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Usually, the ceremonies for the Fields, the Abacus and other awards take place as part of the International Congress of Mathematics, a quadrennial gathering of mathematicians. New York Times, 5 July 2022 Other Shanghai residents pointed to Saturday’s announcement by the Asian Football Confederation that China had withdrawn from hosting the quadrennial Asian Cup soccer tournament, originally slated to be staged in the summer of 2023. Natasha Khan, WSJ, 15 May 2022 It has been unremittingly condemned in the quadrennial party platforms of one of America’s two major parties, a party that has won half of the presidential elections since Roe. Akhil Reed Amar, WSJ, 13 May 2022 Never before had so many athletes participated in the quadrennial games. Dan Chapman, ajc, 26 July 2016 See More Word History
First Known Use
circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1