twice
- 01 A1 Beginner
two times or on two occasions.
occurring on two separate occasions or instances.
Simple“I brush my teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.”
In context“The committee met twice during the summer recess to ensure the project remained on schedule despite the absence of the lead architect.”
UsageOften used in frequency phrases like 'twice a week' or 'twice a year'.
PitfallI have seen that movie two times. I have seen that movie twice.While 'two times' is grammatically correct, 'twice' is much more natural and common in everyday English.
- 02 A2 Elementary
double the amount, size, or strength of something.
to a degree or amount that is twofold; doubled in quantity or intensity.
Simple“This new battery lasts twice as long as the old one.”
In context“The renovated stadium now has twice the seating capacity of the original structure, allowing it to host major international tournaments.”
UsageCommonly used in the comparative structure 'twice as [adjective] as'.
Usage twice a year · twice a week
From earlier twise, from Middle English twies, twiȝes, from Old English twīġes (“twice”), from twīwa, twīġa ("twice"; whence Middle English twie (“twice”)) + -es (adverbial genitive ending). Related to Saterland Frisian twäie (“twice”), Middle Low German twiges, twies (“twice”), Middle High German zwies (“twice”). Equivalent to twi- (“(in) two; both”) + -ce. Similarly constructed to the prefixes bis- and dis-, borrowed from Indo-European cognates.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.