fortnight

noun

fort·​night ˈfȯrt-ˌnīt How to pronounce fortnight (audio)
: a period of 14 days : two weeks
They stayed with us for a fortnight.

Examples of fortnight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Casado was outstanding in a 4-1 Champions League win against Kimmich's Bayern Munich a fortnight ago, and followed his impressive showing up with assists in a 4-0 routing of Real Madrid in El Clasico and a 3-1 victory over Espanyol on Sunday. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 Recent storms Helene and Milton, which arrived within a fortnight of one another, have already resulted in $1.4 billion and $2.4 billion in losses respectively. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 Colton scored four of them to help an 0-4 start turn into a 4-4 fortnight. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2024 The Tortured Poets Department: Spend a fortnight visiting our many local bookstores and maybe find some of Dylan Thomas' work. Lindsey Erdody, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fortnight 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fourtenight, alteration of fourtene night, from Old English fēowertȳne niht fourteen nights

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fortnight was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fortnight

Cite this Entry

“Fortnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortnight. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fortnight

noun
fort·​night ˈfōrt-ˌnīt How to pronounce fortnight (audio)
ˈfȯrt-
: a period of 14 days : two weeks
fortnightly
-lē
adverb or adjective
Etymology

Old English fēowertȳne niht "fourteen nights"

More from Merriam-Webster on fortnight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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