I heard it tonight on the PBS NewsHour: decadal. Merriam-Webster gives this pronunciation: /ˈde-kə-dᵊl/. On the NewsHour it came out as /de-ˈkā-dᵊl/. I would just say decade-long.
A check of Google Books suggests that the word is widely used in the study of climate.
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
New to me: decadal
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Given the confusion with biannual and bimonthly, I thought it might mean every tenth year. Or, perhaps, alternating ten year periods. I'm so confused.
The guest who used the word seemed to mean “decade-long.” There’s also, as I just discovered, decennial, “consisting of or lasting for 10 years,” “occurring or being done every 10 years.”
About biannual and bimonthly, I’m tempted to say that in time (sorry) the meaning will become clear. But it won’t. Bryan Garner suggests avoiding the prefix with units of time where possible. It’s just confusing.
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