every five years

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "every five years" is correct and usable in written English.
It is commonly used to describe a timeframe or frequency that occurs regularly. You can use it when talking about events, activities, or actions that happen every five years. Example: "John's family has a tradition of going on a big vacation every five years." "The Olympics are held every four years, while the World Cup is held every four years." "The government requires all citizens to renew their passports every five years." "I get a health check-up every five years to make sure everything is okay." "Karen's company gives out bonuses to employees every five years based on their performance."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Every five years.

The Guardian

The Romans conducted censuses every five years.

The Economist

One win every five years?

The Guardian - Sport

Every five years, in fact.

The Guardian

It is cumulated every five years.

Yale University

The census is taken every five years.

Cornell University

Others would be inspected every five years.

The Washington Post

Elections are held every five years.

The Guardian

And only once about every five years.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"Every five years it's the same".

The New York Times - Sports

"Every five years it's been a new job," Walzer said.

Princeton University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing recurring events with "every five years", ensure clarity by specifying the start date or reference point from which the five-year intervals are calculated. This avoids ambiguity and provides a precise timeframe.

Common error

Avoid using "every five years" without a clear context. For instance, instead of saying "Reviews are conducted every five years", specify when the review cycle began: "Reviews are conducted every five years, starting in 2020".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "every five years" functions as an adverbial phrase of frequency, modifying a verb or clause to indicate how often an action or event occurs. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is commonly used. For example, "Elections are held every five years."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Academia

27%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Science

8%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "every five years" is a common and grammatically sound adverbial phrase that describes the frequency of an event. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and widespread use. It is employed across diverse contexts, including news, academic research, and general discussions, with a neutral register. When using this phrase, it's essential to provide sufficient context to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives include "quinquennially" or "once every five years", depending on the desired level of formality and emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

once every five years

Emphasizes the singularity of the event within each five-year period.

quinquennially

Adverb meaning happening every five years. More formal and concise.

on a five-year basis

Suggests a recurring evaluation or calculation performed every five years.

at five-year intervals

Focuses on the gap between occurrences rather than the repetition.

at intervals of five years

Focuses on the duration separating repetitive events.

every five-year cycle

Implies a recurring pattern or process with a five-year duration.

each five-year period

Highlights a specific duration of five years

with a five-year frequency

Highlights the consistent recurrence of an event over time.

five years apart

Emphasizes the separation in time between two events.

in five-year increments

Describes a gradual increase or change that happens in steps of five years.

FAQs

How can I use "every five years" in a sentence?

You can use "every five years" to indicate how frequently something occurs, such as "The census is conducted "every five years"".

What's an alternative to saying "every five years"?

Alternatives include "once every five years", "at five-year intervals", or the more formal adverb "quinquennially".

Is it correct to say "each five years" instead of "every five years"?

While "each five years" might be understood, it's not standard English. The correct and commonly used phrase is "every five years".

What is the difference between "every five years" and "in five years"?

"Every five years" indicates a recurring event, while "in five years" refers to a single point in the future. For example, "The conference is held "every five years"" versus "The next conference will be held "in five years"".