anniversary
Americannoun
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the yearly recurrence of the date of a past event.
the tenth anniversary of their marriage.
-
the celebration or commemoration of such a date.
adjective
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returning or recurring each year; annual.
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pertaining to an anniversary: anniv.
an anniversary gift.
noun
-
the date on which an event occurred in some previous year
a wedding anniversary
-
the celebration of this
adjective
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of or relating to an anniversary
-
recurring every year, esp on the same date
Etymology
Origin of anniversary
1200–50; Middle English anniversarie (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latin ( diēs ) anniversāria anniversary (day), Latin anniversārius recurring yearly, equivalent to anni- (combining form of annus year) + vers ( us ) turned, past participle of vertere ( vert- turn + -tus past participle suffix) + -ārius -ary
Explanation
An anniversary marks the date on which an event happened — a five-year wedding anniversary occurs exactly five years after a wedding. When someone refers to "our anniversary," they are typically talking about the day they were married. News organizations regularly recognize the anniversaries of important people's births and deaths, plus anniversaries of significant news events and national tragedies, like Sept. 11 2001 or Dec. 7, 1941. This word comes from Latin; remember that annus means year and you can relate the word to annual. Sometimes the world is used more loosely, like when new couples celebrate their one-month anniversary.
Vocabulary lists containing anniversary
List 8
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 11–September 17, 2021
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 2–October 8, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Embassy event marking America’s 250th anniversary, which featured life-size cutouts of Trump officials for photo takers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
The pontiff's visit coincides with the 11th anniversary of a landmark climate manifesto by Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
Noughties girl group Mis-Teeq have confirmed they will reunite two decades after their split, with a show in London to celebrate the anniversary of their first album.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Our cranky polity now grumbles its way toward its 250th anniversary.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
When Jefferson died on July 4, 1826—the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the same day on which John Adams died—there were still hundreds of enslaved people on his properties.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
