Dictionary

fortnight en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈfɔːt.naɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈfɔɹt.nɪt/ (obsolete)
• (Australia) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈfɔɹt.naɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English fourtenyght, fourtene nyght, from Old English fēowertīene niht (literally “fourteen nights"; the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights), equivalent to fourteen + night. Compare sennight.

Meanings

1. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, dated, in North America) A period of 2 weeks.
   • Meronyms: quectosecond < rontosecond < yoctosecond < zeptosecond < attosecond < femtosecond < picosecond < nanosecond < microsecond < millisecond < centisecond < decisecond < second < decasecond < minute < hectosecond < kilosecond < hour < day < week < megasecond
   • On being kicked the girl fell desperately in love with Henri, and for a fortnight they lived together and spent a thousand francs of Henri's money. 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter I, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:
   • Near-synonym: halfmonth
   • The “lame duck” Johnson Administration, in its final fortnight in office, grappled last week with a diplomatic hot potato in the form of the latest Soviet proposal for a “just and lasting” Middle East peace settlement. 1969 January 12, Benjamin Welles, “A Hot Potato for Nixon”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 12 Dec 2025:
   • The NHS is bracing itself for its worst ever winter crisis descending in the next fortnight because of a worsening “flu-nami” that has left hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulances services under intense strain. 2025 December 12, Tobi Thomas, Denis Campbell, “NHS bracing for worst ever winter crisis in next fortnight amid rising flu cases”, in The Guardian:
   • Holonyms: month < year < gigasecond < century < kiloannum, kiloyear, millennium < terasecond < mega-annum, megayear < petasecond < giga-annum, gigayear < exasecond < zettasecond < yottasecond < ronnasecond < quettasecond

Forms

Deriveds

nanofortnight · millifortnight · microfortnight

Descendants

fotnait

Relateds

sennight · fortnightly

Synonyms

halfmonth

Translations (65)

cs dva týdny (period of two weeks) · de vierzehn Tage (period of two weeks) · fi kaksi viikkoa (period of two weeks) · he שְׁבוּעַיִם (period of two weeks) · de zwei Wochen (period of two weeks) · om torban lama (period of two weeks) · mt ħmistax-il ġurnata (period of two weeks) · vo telvig (period of two weeks) · ar أُسْبُوعَان (period of two weeks) · nb to uker (period of two weeks) · el δεκαπενθήμερο (period of two weeks) · enm fourtenyght (period of two weeks) · pt quinzena (period of two weeks) · cmn 兩週 /两周 (period of two weeks) · pt quatorze/catorze dias (period of two weeks) · ro două săptămâni (period of two weeks) · cy pythefnos (period of two weeks) · bg две се́дмици (period of two weeks) · cs čtrnáct dní (period of two weeks) · is fjórtán dagar (period of two weeks) · ko 2주일 (period of two weeks) · es quincena (period of two weeks) · es catorcena (period of two weeks) · pl dwa tygodnie (period of two weeks) · pt duas semanas (period of two weeks) · sv fjorton dagar (period of two weeks) · sv två veckor (period of two weeks) · fr deux semaines (period of two weeks) · gd cola-deug (period of two weeks) · fr quinzaine (period of two weeks) · nl twee weken (period of two weeks) · nb fjorten dager (period of two weeks) · uk два ти́жні (period of two weeks) · fr quinze jours (period of two weeks) · nl veertien dagen (period of two weeks) · ja 二週間 (period of two weeks) · ja 二七日 (period of two weeks) · is hálfur mánuður (period of two weeks) · da to uger (period of two weeks) · nn to veker (period of two weeks) · ru две неде́ли (period of two weeks) · om kudha afur (period of two weeks) · it (periodo di) due settimane (period of two weeks) · nn fjortendagar (period of two weeks) · ca quinzena (period of two weeks) · da fjorten dage (period of two weeks) · hi पखवाड़ा (period of two weeks) · th ปักษ์ (period of two weeks) · ru четы́рнадцать дней (period of two weeks) · nn fjorten dagar (period of two weeks) · ko 2주일간 (period of two weeks) · ang fēowertīene niht (period of two weeks) · ga coicís (period of two weeks) · te పక్షము (period of two weeks) · hi पक्ष (period of two weeks) · is tvær vikur (period of two weeks) · sco fortnicht (period of two weeks) · id dwiminggu (period of two weeks) · dv ފޮއި (period of two weeks) · hu két hét (period of two weeks) · ceb kinsena (period of two weeks) · tr iki hafta (period of two weeks) · oc quinze jorns (period of two weeks) · mk две не́дели (period of two weeks) · oc quinzena (period of two weeks)

wikidata: Q2993680