anniversary

American  

[an-uh-vur-suh-ree] / ˌæn əˈvɜr sə ri /

noun

• anniversaries
  plural

1. the yearly recurrence of the date of a past event.

   the tenth anniversary of their marriage.

2. the celebration or commemoration of such a date.

3. wedding anniversary.

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adjective

1. returning or recurring each year; annual.

2. pertaining to an anniversary: anniv.

   an anniversary gift.

anniversary British  

/ ˌænɪˈvɜːsərɪ /

noun

1. the date on which an event occurred in some previous year

   a wedding anniversary

2. the celebration of this

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adjective

1. of or relating to an anniversary

2. recurring every year, esp on the same date

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• anniversaries
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anniversary anniversaries

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the five-borough race.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

"Jewish people must be able to live without fear throughout Germany," the chancellor said in the statement marking the anniversary of the Hamas attacks in 2023 that set off the Gaza war.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Before the first home game of their upcoming 60th anniversary year Tuesday, the Kings honored their past by unveiling a modest Hall of Fame on the concourse of Crypto.com Arena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

For the 20th anniversary of Irwin’s untimely death, Ivana Rihter reflects on the conservationist’s legacy.

From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026

But I hear Mama say, “It’s our anniversary! It’s our anniversary, and he’s not here!”

From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist

But presidents have previously marked major anniversaries by attending several sites including New York, where the majority of the 2,977 victims were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Elvira and I went on to celebrate some of our next 44 wedding anniversaries at other popular New York City restaurants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Clients trusted him with their special moments: engagements, weddings and anniversaries, or when they simply wished to treat themselves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

Some people marked birthdays and anniversaries during the eclipse, giving the evening a romantic significance.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

He organized celebrations to honor veterans and commemorate anniversaries of the Wall, as well as spearheading fund-raising efforts to keep the memorial in good repair.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• ceremony
• commemoration
• festival
• holiday
• jubilee