triennial

adjective tri·en·ni·al \ (ˌ)trī-ˈe-nē-əl \

|Updated on: 23 Jul 2018

Definition of triennial

1 : occurring or being done every three years

the triennial convention

2 : consisting of or lasting for three years

a triennial contract

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triennial

noun

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triennially

play \(ˌ)trī-ˈe-nē-ə-lē\ adverb

See triennial defined for kids

Recent Examples of triennial from the Web

The triennial, which runs through Sept. 30 and is expected to be held every three years after that, is the brainchild of Fred Bidwell.

— kelly crow, WSJ, "Cleveland Hopes to Become the Next Venice," 11 July 2018
Getting local audiences to buy into the triennial may be more important than luring the globe-trotters, some suggest.

— New York Times, "New Triennial Offers Artists the Canvas of Cleveland," 11 July 2018
Two additional murals, by Sarah Morris of New York, and Heimo Zobernig of Vienna, Austria, could be realized at other sites either during the next two years or just before the next FRONT triennial in 2021, depending on funding, Bidwell said.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "FRONT announces outdoor projects and big installations for regional exhibit opening July 14 (photos)," 16 Mar. 2018
But no one substitutes for the US president, analysts note, especially at a summit that no US president has missed since the triennial gatherings began.

— howard lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, "Pence replacing Trump at Peru summit. But name that matters most is Monroe.," 11 Apr. 2018
Both sides are arguing their case to the US Copyright Office right now, submitting lengthy comments on the subject as part of the Copyright Register's triennial review of exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Game industry pushes back against efforts to restore gameplay servers," 21 Feb. 2018
Dozens of officials from airlines, first-aid nonprofits, the Burbank and Glendale city councils and the Airport Authority gathered at the adjacent B-6 Parcel to observe airport safety personnel perform a triennial full-scale exercise.

— anthony clark carpio, latimes.com, "After choppers used in Trump visit land, Hollywood Burbank Airport conducts emergency exercise," 14 Mar. 2018
Signs that the tradition is alive and well include the Cremona International Violin Making School in town, where the old skills are taught to aspiring luthiers, as well as a triennial violin-making competition, a sort of Olympics of the trade.

— stuart isacoff, WSJ, "The Violin Museum Is a Luthier’s Paradise," 7 Mar. 2018
The Cleveland Foundation is supporting both the triennial as a whole, and the FRONT Madison Residency, through its Creative Fusion program.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "FRONT Triennial hits $4M fundraising goal and raises bar $1M higher," 1 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'triennial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.