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

Over the past 10 years through Thursday, the S&P 500’s average annual return, with dividends reinvested, has been 15.7%, according to data supplied by LSEG.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

Building on the momentum, the company has set its sights on $100 billion in annual revenue—a goal it expects to achieve in the next two years.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Newly-published inflation figures show the annual rate of food price rises was 3% in April - higher than the overall rate of inflation of 2.8%.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

He will welcome prospective foreign investors to the opulent Palace of Versailles outside Paris on June 1 for the annual Choose France business conference.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Mom seats us in Jack’s living room like it’s her annual holiday party and we’re the guests of honor.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• yearlong