fortnight

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "fortnight" is correct and usable in written English.
It is a noun that refers to a period of two weeks. Example: I'm going on vacation for a fortnight.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Lifestyle

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Li's retirement from tennis may have robbed Melbourne of a defending champion but it has given Kvitova a boost that could yet see her add to her two Wimbledon titles over the next fortnight.

The Guardian - Sport

The social networking site calculated that more than 150m tweets about the Games went out during the fortnight, with more than 80,000 a minute prompted by Usain Bolt's win in the 200m sprint.

The Guardian - Opinion

Labour are unchanged from the last Observer/Opinium poll a fortnight ago, on 37%, while the Conservatives drop to 26%.

The Guardian

A fortnight later, on Friday the 13th, we arrived in the British Virgin Islands by a full moon, glimpsing a dark ocean dotted with islands through tropical sea mist.

The Guardian - Travel

A fortnight later, you pour the beer into the bottles and leave them somewhere dark.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

He has only a fortnight to set out a reworked policy on the deficit before the government's spending review on 20 October, and to work out the level of coalition spending cuts that it is politically credible for Labour to oppose.

The Guardian

A fortnight after publicly conceding the title, having already lost the Copa del Rey final to Real Madrid, they found themselves back in it through no merit of their own.

The Guardian - Sport

Thanks to my son's determination to never sleep by himself, the last fortnight has been an endless heavy-limbed fever dream of faraway stares and spontaneous unconsciousness.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The 12 Inter players called up to represent their countries over the previous fortnight had racked up an incredible 92,645 air miles but they had played an average of 50 fewer minutes per head than their Juventus counterparts.

The Guardian - Sport

So, in little more than a fortnight, she banged out a play about a feisty Salford girl, Jo, who is left alone by her flighty mum one Christmas, goes to bed with a transient Nigerian sailor, gets pregnant and is lovingly tended by an effeminate art student.

The Guardian

First, it is risking one of the biggest budget measures – Scott Morrison's rejigging of last year's aged pension cuts for a fairer system which sees about 170,000 part-pensioners get about $30 more a fortnight while better off part-pensioners lose their payments.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fortnight" to add a touch of formality or British English flair to your writing. It's particularly appropriate when discussing recurring events or schedules.

Common error

Avoid using "fortnight" when you actually mean a shorter period, like a week, or a longer one, such as a month. Ensure the context clearly indicates a period of exactly two weeks.

Linguistic Context

The word "fortnight" functions primarily as a noun, designating a period of fourteen days or two weeks. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage as a noun in the provided examples. It can also function as an adverb, meaning after a period of two weeks.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Sport

25%

Lifestyle

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Science

3%

Travel

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fortnight" is a grammatically sound noun representing a period of two weeks, confirmed by Ludwig AI. It's most frequently encountered in news, sports, and lifestyle contexts, lending a touch of formality, particularly in British English. While interchangeable with "two weeks", "fortnight" offers a slightly more concise alternative, particularly useful when scheduling or discussing durations. The key is to ensure the context clearly indicates a two-week period. Remember to use the term in its correct definition which is fourteen nights or two weeks.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

two weeks

This is the most direct and commonly used synonym, differing only in word choice.

fourteen days

A straightforward statement of the duration in days.

period of fourteen days

More formal and precise, specifying the exact number of days.

fourteen-day period

Similar to the above, emphasizing the duration as a single unit.

span of two weeks

Highlights the duration as a continuous stretch of time.

two-week timeframe

Emphasizes that "fortnight" can be considered a strict timeframe.

biweekly interval

More technical, emphasizing the recurring nature of the interval.

the next two weeks

Focuses on a future period of two weeks, adding a temporal aspect.

a couple of weeks

Less precise, implying approximately two weeks.

half a month

Approximates the duration, relating it to a monthly cycle.

FAQs

How to use "fortnight" in a sentence?

Use "fortnight" to refer to a period of two weeks. For example, "I'm going on vacation for a fortnight."

What can I say instead of "fortnight"?

You can use alternatives like "two weeks", "period of fourteen days", or "fourteen days" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "fortnight" or "two week"?

"Fortnight" and "two weeks" are both correct, but "fortnight" is more common in British English. "Two week" is incorrect; it should always be "two weeks".

Is "fortnightly" the same as "fortnight"?

No, "fortnight" is a noun that refers to a period of two weeks, while "fortnightly" is an adverb or adjective meaning 'every two weeks' or 'occurring every two weeks'.