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

To mark the anniversary, Harmonia Mundi has reissued the beautiful “A Tribute,” originally released in 2011, on two CDs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The choreographer marked the nation’s semiquincentennial and his troupe’s 45th anniversary with a program at the Joyce Theater of repertory classics and a New York premiere all centered on American music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont responded to the US walkout, saying: "This year we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. And everyone knows the role France has played in that."

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Australia and England are, though, poised to play a one-off Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2027 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first meeting between the sides.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Was this the nineteenth anniversary of a famous bank robbery?

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Onstage, the frontman of Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service was thriving as his two bands toured together to mark the 20th anniversaries of Death Cab’s “Transatlanticism” and the Postal Service’s “Give Up.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

The Royal Mint said it will release seven coins in the series, marking the 25th anniversaries of the second and third films.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

The spectacular staging builds loyalty, with clients returning later for anniversaries or family stays, she said.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

There are more anniversaries within film, television, music and entertainment to look out for in 2026.

From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2026

She shoots all kinds of parties and events—weddings, bar mitzvahs, quinceaneras, graduations, anniversaries, sweet sixteens.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

Related Words

• ceremony
• commemoration
• festival
• holiday
• jubilee