annual

[ an-yoo-uhl ]

/ ˈæn yu əl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: annual / annually on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, for, or pertaining to a year; yearly: annual salary.

occurring or returning once a year: an annual celebration.

Botany. living only one growing season, as beans or corn.

performed or executed during a year: the annual course of the sun.

Entomology. living or lasting but one season or year, as certain insects or colonies of insects.

noun

Botany. a plant living only one year or season.

a book, report, etc., published annually.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of annual

1350–1400; <Late Latin annuālis, equivalent to Latin annu(us) yearly (derivative of annus circuit of the sun, year) + -ālis-al¹; replacing Middle English annuel<Anglo-French <Latin

OTHER WORDS FROM annual

an·nu·al·ly, adverbin·ter·an·nu·al, adjectivein·ter·an·nu·al·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH annual

1. anal, annual , annul2. annual , perennial

Words nearby annual

anno urbis conditae, annoy, annoyance, annoyed, annoying, annual, annual general meeting, annualize, annually, annual parallax, annual percentage rate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use annual in a sentence

Speaking of the greatest event of all time …Our annual public affairs summit runs through Saturday and you can register at any time — literally right up until the end.
Morning Report: A New Twist in the Navigation Center Saga|Voice of San Diego|October 1, 2020|Voice of San Diego
I’ll be talking to stakeholders on both sides, including Castaneda and Martinek, about the project on Thursday night as part of Voice of San Diego’s annual public affairs summit, and welcome any questions for the panelists.
North County Report: North River Farms and More Big Politifest Convos|Kayla Jimenez|September 30, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Monday saw the launch of Climate Week in New York—an annual network of environment-minded events, hosted across the city in the week that coincides with the UN general assembly.
Experts praise China’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2060—but more could be done|eamonbarrett|September 24, 2020|Fortune
Last week, Volkan Bozkir, president of the United Nations General Assembly, declared its 75th annual session open.
The UN can’t solve the crisis it was designed to handle|Annalisa Merelli|September 21, 2020|Quartz

Add in India and other snakebite hot spots and the annual numbers rise to more than 2 million bites that need clinical treatment, according to the World Health Organization.
Cheap, innovative venom treatments could save tens of thousands of snakebite victims|Christie Wilcox|September 19, 2020|Science News
Russia depends on oil exports for almost 70 percent of its foreign-currency earnings and almost 50 percent of its annual budget.
How Crimea Crashed the Russian Economy|Anna Nemtsova|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps the most Jewish part of the 6th Annual Latke Festival was that the food went way faster than the liquor.
I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed|Emily Shire|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Film critic David Ehrlich continues his annual tradition of making a supercut of his favorite films of the year.
‘Sexual’ Barbershop Quartet, a Panda Family Reunion, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes, lawyers bill by the hour but are paid an annual salary—plus bonuses.
How Amazon Became Santa’s Sweatshop|Sally Kohn|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2006, Wahlberg participated in the Los Angeles Police-Celebrity Golf Tournament, an annual fundraiser.
LAPD Foundation: Mark Wahlberg Would Make a Good Reserve Cop|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The governor of the fortress was provided with a safe residence in Egypt, and an annual pension of 75,000 piasters.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Isaacson did not visit Mrs. Chepstow again before he left London for his annual holiday.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
In former years, Korea had paid an annual tribute or tax to China, but for some time it had been held back by this king.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
Whether his annual expenditure be fifty pounds or fifty thousand, he tries to get his money's worth.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
If this stinking quartet takes it into its head to levy annual blackmail, where is the money coming from?
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for annual

annual

/ (ˈænjʊəl) /

adjective

occurring, done, etc, once a year or every year; yearlyan annual income

lasting for a yearan annual subscription

noun

a plant that completes its life cycle in less than one yearCompare perennial (def. 3), biennial (def. 3)

a book, magazine, etc, published once every year

Derived forms of annual

annually, adverb

Word Origin for annual

C14: from Late Latin annuālis, from Latin annuus yearly, from annus year

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for annual

annual

[ ăn′yōō-əl ]

Adjective

Completing a life cycle in one growing season.

Noun

An annual plant. Annuals germinate, blossom, produce seed, and die in one growing season. They are common in environments with short growing seasons. Most desert plants are annuals, germinating and flowering after rainfall. Many common weeds, wild flowers, garden flowers, and vegetables are annuals. Examples of annuals include tomatoes, corn, wheat, sunflowers, petunias, and zinnias. Compare biennial perennial.

annual

Origin of annual

OTHER WORDS FROM annual

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH annual

Words nearby annual

Words related to annual

How to use annual in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for annual

Derived forms of annual

Word Origin for annual

Scientific definitions for annual