annual

[an-yoo-uhl]

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

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of annual¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of annual¹

C14: from Late Latin annuālis, from Latin annuus yearly, from annus year

Example Sentences

That commitment prompted skepticism among many who follow the country’s finances given the size was more than 50% larger than the Saudi annual budget.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The filing said consolidating Scripps could produce “more than $300 million in expected annual synergies.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Home Secretary will also set an annual cap on the number of people legally allowed to arrive into the country as refugees.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

After moving the ceremony to Netflix, the Screen Actors Guild is rebranding its annual prizes as the Actor Awards, the guild announced Friday.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Alongside tightening access to refugee status, the UK would create new legal routes to the UK, with an annual cap on numbers.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• yearlong