Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

bissextile

Adjective

/ˈbɪsɛkstaɪl/

Definition

A year that occurs every four years, during which an extra day is added to the calendar in February, making it 29 days long.

Examples

The year 2020 was a bissextile year, which is why February had an extra day.
Many people celebrate their birthdays only every four years since they were born on February 29 in a bissextile year.
In the Gregorian calendar, a year is bissextile if it is divisible by 4, except for years divisible by 100 unless they are also divisible by 400.

Meaning

The term ‘bissextile’ refers specifically to leap years characterized by the addition of February 29, helping to keep our calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year.