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quarterly

/ˈkwɔː.tə.li/
IELTSAcademic
adjective

Happening or published four times a year, usually once every three months. It is common in business, finance, and reporting.

  • We send a quarterly report to shareholders.
  • The magazine is published quarterly.
adverb

Four times a year, or once every three months.

  • The board meets quarterly.
  • Payments are made quarterly.
noun

A publication or report that comes out four times a year.

  • I read the company quarterly.
  • This quarterly covers market trends.

Adinary Nuance

Quarterly is more specific than every three months because it clearly means four times in a year. It is also more formal than casual words like regular or periodic. In business and academic writing, quarterly is the standard word for reports, results, and meetings.

In other languages

Vietnamese
hàng quý
Spanish
trimestral
Chinese
季度的
Japanese
四半期ごとの
Korean
분기별

Etymology

Quarterly comes from quarter, meaning one-fourth of a year. It entered English in the 16th century and kept this time-based meaning.

Common phrases

quarterly reportquarterly resultsquarterly meetingquarterly payments

Synonyms

Related words

Frequently asked questions

Is quarterly formal or informal?
It is fairly formal and common in business, finance, and academic writing.
What is the difference between quarterly and every three months?
They mean almost the same thing, but quarterly is the standard business word.
Can quarterly be a noun?
Yes. A quarterly is a publication that comes out four times a year.
Is quarterly used in IELTS writing?
Yes. It is useful for describing reports, results, and schedules clearly.