quarterly
gb/kwˈɔɹtɚli/ us/kwˈɔɹtɚli/
B2
English
~ 5200
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
relation
1
once every three months
Happening or done one time every three months.
Usage pattern:
[something] happens quarterly
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'quarterly' means 'every four months'. It actually means 'four times a year' (every three months). Another common mistake is using it before a noun like an adjective (e.g., '*a quarterly paid bonus*'); in that position, use the adjective form: 'a quarterly bonus' or 'a bonus paid quarterly'.
Synonyms
every quarter (More explicit and slightly more informal; often used in speech.)
Antonyms
annually (Means once a year, not four times a year.)
Collocations
paid quarterly
|billed quarterly
|report quarterly
|updated quarterly
|reviewed quarterly
|calculated quarterly
Themes
time
|business
|finance
Examples
- Employees are paid bonuses quarterly based on performance.
- We review our safety procedures quarterly to make sure they are up to date.
- Interest on this account is added quarterly, not monthly.
- The committee meets quarterly to discuss policy changes.
- The software is updated quarterly to fix bugs and add features.
Learner examples
- The company pays workers quarterly.
- Our team meets quarterly to talk about goals.
- The bank adds interest to my savings quarterly.
- We check the machines quarterly for problems.
- They send the tax bill quarterly.
adjective
B2
property
2
happening every three months
Happening or made one time every three months.
Usage pattern:
a quarterly [report/payment/meeting]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix up the adjective and adverb forms, saying '*a report comes quarterly*' (adverb) when they mean the thing itself is quarterly: 'a quarterly report' (adjective). Both can be correct but they change the sentence structure.
Synonyms
three-monthly (Less common, more used in British English; same basic meaning.)
Antonyms
monthly (Describes something happening once a month instead of once every three months.)
Collocations
quarterly report
|quarterly meeting
|quarterly review
|quarterly payment
|quarterly results
|quarterly earnings
Themes
time
|business
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company will release its quarterly results next week.
- Please send me the quarterly sales report by Friday.
- We have a quarterly meeting to review our progress.
- Tenants must make quarterly rent payments under this contract.
- The board conducts a quarterly review of the budget.
Learner examples
- We have a quarterly team meeting.
- I must make a quarterly tax payment.
- The bank sends a quarterly statement.
- Our boss reads the quarterly sales report.
- They publish a quarterly safety review.
Noun
C1
entity
3
periodical issued every three months
A magazine or journal that comes out one time every three months.
Usage pattern:
a [literary/scientific] quarterly
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that 'a quarterly' can be a noun meaning 'a magazine or journal'; they may incorrectly say '*a quarterly magazine*' when they want to use it as a standalone noun, where just 'a quarterly' is enough in the right context.
Synonyms
quarterly journal (More explicit; clearly shows that the quarterly is a journal.)
Antonyms
monthly (A publication that appears every month rather than every three months.)
Collocations
literary quarterly
|academic quarterly
|business quarterly
|science quarterly
Themes
media
|education
|business
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- She edits a respected literary quarterly based in New York.
- The research was first published in an academic quarterly.
- He writes book reviews for a small independent quarterly.
- The environmental quarterly ran a special issue on climate change.
- Subscriptions to the quarterly increased after it went online.
Learner examples
- She works for a science quarterly.
- I read an art quarterly from the university.
- The quarterly is full of long articles.
- He sends his stories to a literary quarterly.
- This quarterly is only for teachers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
quarterly
IPA
GB/kwˈɔɹtɚli/
US/kwˈɔɹtɚli/
Syllables & stress
quarterly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (quarterly)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: quarterly
Noun
- Base: quarterly
- Plural: quarterlies
Word family
Forms
quarterlies
noun
Core family
quarter
noun A2
Expressions
on a quarterly basis
1/ˈɔn ə kwˈɔɹtɚli bˈeɪsɪs/
fixed phrase
formal
happening every three months
Happening one time every three months.
Examples
- Performance reviews are conducted on a quarterly basis.
- Interest will be paid on a quarterly basis into your account.
- We update our risk assessment on a quarterly basis.
quarterly earnings
1/kwˈɔɹtɚli ˈɚnɪŋz/
fixed phrase
company profit for a quarter
The money a company makes as profit in a three‑month period.
Examples
- The tech giant reported record quarterly earnings.
- Bad news in the quarterly earnings pushed the share price down.
- Analysts had expected higher quarterly earnings from the bank.
quarterly earnings
1/kwˈɔɹtɚli ˈɚnɪŋz/
fixed phrase
business
profit reported every three months
a company’s profit for three months
Examples
- The firm posted record quarterly earnings despite higher shipping costs.
- Traders reacted quickly to the quarterly earnings announcement.
- Quarterly earnings beat expectations, but guidance was cautious.
quarterly meeting
1/kwˈɔɹtɚli mˈitɪŋ/
fixed phrase
regular meeting every three months
A meeting that happens one time every three months.
Examples
- The board holds a quarterly meeting to review strategy.
- Please add these items to the agenda for the quarterly meeting.
- We discuss long‑term goals at the quarterly meeting.
quarterly report
1/kwˈɔɹtɚli ɹɪpˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
business report every three months
A business or financial report that a company makes every three months.
Examples
- The company's quarterly report showed strong growth in sales.
- Investors are waiting for the quarterly report before making a decision.
- Our team must finish the quarterly report by the end of the week.
quarterly results
1/kwˈɔɹtɚli ɹɪzˈʌlts/
fixed phrase
financial results for a quarter
The numbers that show how a company did in business in a three‑month period.
Examples
- The quarterly results were better than analysts expected.
- Their latest quarterly results revealed a sharp drop in revenue.
- Investors study quarterly results to understand a company’s performance.