Vierteljährlich

Vierteljährlich is a German term describing something that occurs once every three months, i.e., in a quarter-year interval. The word is formed from Viertel (quarter) and Jahr (year) with the suffix -lich, functioning as an adverb and an adjective. It is used to express frequency or scheduling of events, payments, or publications.

In practice, vierteljährlich is common in business, administration, and publishing. Examples include vierteljährliche Berichte (quarterly reports), vierteljährliche Zinszahlungen (quarterly interest payments), and vierteljährliche Datenveröffentlichungen (quarterly data releases). The term emphasizes the regularity tied to the quarter-year period.

Synonyms and related expressions include quartalsweise and dreimonatlich. Quartalsweise is widely used in financial and official contexts and may feel more formal or neutral. Dreimonatlich is less common but explicitly means “every three months.” Both can be interchangeable with vierteljährlich depending on context, though subtle differences in emphasis on the interval may remain.

Etymology notes reflect its construction as Vierteljahr (quarter-year) plus -lich, a common German suffix for adjectives and adverbs. The term contrasts with jährliche (annual) or monatlich (monthly) and fits alongside quartalsbezogenen Begriffen (quarter-related terms) in reports, contracts, and scheduling.