1
: on two occasions
twice absent
2
: two times : in doubled quantity or degree
twice two is four
twice as much

Examples of twice in a Sentence

I only wore it twice. He has rehearsals twice a month. He twice lost to younger opponents. We visited them twice in 10 years. The dictionary has been twice updated since 1993. I've been there at least twice. He must be twice her age. The population is twice that of Canada. The new one costs about twice as much. He could earn twice his present salary at the new job.
Recent Examples on the Web In a city where homes cost twice as much as in another, the more expensive city’s leadership ratio would have jumped 5% in the three years following the onset of the pandemic. Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 But now Hong is honored twice on the iconic sidewalk: with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and with his hands and feet immortalized in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Citing autopsy reports, prosecutors said both had been shot twice in the head. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 According to a February 2023 report by California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, the state boasts roughly 125,000 industry jobs, more than twice as many as its closest domestic competitor, New York. Todd Longwell, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Their home was demolished twice and irrigation pipes torn up. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 Truth Initiative describes itself as the nation’s largest non-profit dedicated to investigating and eradicating the smoking habit, and wants directors and actors to think twice about including smoking or vaping in their projects. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 The Netherlands has also seen an increase in cases, with 21 from late December through February 29, twice as many cases as the same period in previous years, WHO said. Jen Christensen, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 But Quigley, a solid fighter who’s never been at the elite level, survived the bout, including a turbulent 12th round that saw Berlanga floor him twice before the final bell ended the fight. Josh Katzowitz, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English twiges, twies, from Old English twiga; akin to Old English twi-

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twice was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near twice

Cite this Entry

“Twice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twice. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

twice

adverb
: two times
use it twice
twice as large

More from Merriam-Webster on twice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!