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

A government shutdown is a familiar situation in the US, and can happen whenever Congress fails to vote through an annual budget.

From BBC

Bungu will take over part of a concourse at downtown’s Union Station, and the hope is to make it an annual event.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s the rough equivalent of about one-fourth of their annual food budget and one-third of their spending on utilities and fuel.

From Los Angeles Times

One vendor arranged for annual trips to a resort in Maui, complete with massages, room charges, and thousands of dollars in gift cards redeemable at the resort, the complaint said.

From Los Angeles Times

The annual report for 2024/25 said primary school attendance in the county was "moving rapidly" towards pre-pandemic levels, but desired secondary school attendance as "slower to recover".

From BBC

Related Words

• yearlong