annual

American  

[an-yoo-uhl] / ˈæn yu əl /

adjective

1. of, for, or pertaining to a year; yearly.

   annual salary.

2. occurring or returning once a year.

   an annual celebration.

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

4. performed or executed during a year.

   the annual course of the sun.

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

---

noun

1. Botany. a plant living only one year or season.

2. a book, report, etc., published annually.

annual British  

/ ˈænjʊəl /

adjective

1. occurring, done, etc, once a year or every year; yearly

   an annual income

2. lasting for a year

   an annual subscription

---

noun

1. a plant that completes its life cycle in less than one year Compare perennial biennial

2. a book, magazine, etc, published once every year

annual Scientific  

/ ăn′yo̅o̅-əl /

1. Completing a life cycle in one growing season.

---

1. 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.

2. Compare biennial perennial

Other Word Forms

• annually adverb
• interannual adjective
• interannually adverb

Etymology

Origin of annual

1350–1400; < Late Latin annuālis, equivalent to Latin annu ( us ) yearly (derivative of annus circuit of the sun, year) + -ālis -al ¹; replacing Middle English annuel < Anglo-French < Latin

Example Sentences

"As of 1 July, although it's an annual assessment, the cost of any player you sell is split over three years," Johnson explains.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

For comparison, annual defense spending is only some £66 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Last March, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase received an extension that included $109.8 million in guarantees and gave him an average annual salary of $40.3 million, according to Overthecap.com.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

The oil market was well-supplied before the Iran conflict, with the International Energy Agency estimating that global supply could exceed demand by nearly 4 million barrels per day in 2026, a record annual surplus.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

The sound of a lot of feet, like the marching band in the annual Fry Peanut Festival parade.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Related Words

• yearlong