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.

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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

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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.

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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

Explanation

When something is annual, it happens once a year. An annual holiday party should be a time for fun, but it also can be a sad yearly reminder of the passage of time. An annual event happens every year: "I always forget to take sunglasses to my annual eye exam and am left wearing those horrible disposable shades." Annual earnings are made over the course of a year: "His annual income is on a steady decline." And an annual plant lives for only a year: "My neighbor Shirley always plants the most garishly bright annuals instead of more subdued perennials." Whether it's eye exams, income, or plants, you can expect to see something annual again in about 365 days.

Example Sentences

The U.S. economy rebounded to a solid 2% annual growth rate in the first quarter after a tepid 0.5% growth rate in the prior quarter, as the artificial-intelligence spending boom appears to be gathering steam.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Over the past year, the PCE price index is up by 3.5%, well above the 2% annual rate the Fed aims for.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Direct foreign investment in California rose last year despite the trade disruptions caused by President Trump’s tariffs, according to an annual tally released this week.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Key details: Consumer spending, the chief engine of the economy, rose at a 1.6% annual rate in the first quarter, down slightly from a 1.9% rate in the prior three months.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

The rent was sixty dollars a month—six times the annual budget for her entire committee—but she knew the location would bring in additional volunteers, who would learn about suffrage by walking past the office.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• yearlong