What does "quarterly" mean?

1. (done every three months) done once every three months. 2. (a magazine) a magazine or journal that is published four times a year. 3. (heraldry) divided into four parts, like on a shield or coat of arms.

quarterly

adv. · n. · adj.

US //ˈkwɔɹtɝɫi// UK //kwˈɔːtəli// quar·ter·ly

1 done every three months (adv.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

done once every three months.

at three-month intervals; four times a year.

Example

We pay our electricity bill quarterly.

Example

The software updates are released quarterly to address security vulnerabilities and introduce new features based on user feedback.
- every quarter
2 a magazine (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

a magazine or journal that is published four times a year.

a periodical publication issued four times per year, often academic or literary in nature.

Example

She writes book reviews for a well-known literary quarterly.

Example

The university's historical quarterly has gained a reputation for publishing groundbreaking research on medieval trade routes.
- periodical
- journal

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3 heraldry (adj.)
C2 Proficiency Technical

divided into four parts, like on a shield or coat of arms.

referring to a shield or coat of arms divided into four distinct sections by a horizontal and a vertical line.

Example

The knight's shield was quarterly, showing a lion and a rose.

Example

The family's quarterly coat of arms represented the union of four distinct noble lineages through strategic marriages over two centuries.

Etymology 1

From quarter + -ly (adjectival).

Etymology 2

From quarter + -ly (adverbial suffix).