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

/ ăn′yo̅o̅-əl /

Adjective

1. Completing a life cycle in one growing season.

Noun

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

Derived Forms

• ˈannually, adverb

Other Words From

• annu·al·ly adverb
• inter·annu·al adjective
• inter·annu·al·ly 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

Speaking of the greatest event of all time …Our annual public affairs summit runs through Saturday and you can register at any time — literally right up until the end.

From Voice of San Diego

I’ll be talking to stakeholders on both sides, including Castaneda and Martinek, about the project on Thursday night as part of Voice of San Diego’s annual public affairs summit, and welcome any questions for the panelists.

From Voice of San Diego

Monday saw the launch of Climate Week in New York—an annual network of environment-minded events, hosted across the city in the week that coincides with the UN general assembly.

From Fortune

Last week, Volkan Bozkir, president of the United Nations General Assembly, declared its 75th annual session open.

From Quartz

Add in India and other snakebite hot spots and the annual numbers rise to more than 2 million bites that need clinical treatment, according to the World Health Organization.

From Science News

Russia depends on oil exports for almost 70 percent of its foreign-currency earnings and almost 50 percent of its annual budget.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps the most Jewish part of the 6th Annual Latke Festival was that the food went way faster than the liquor.

From The Daily Beast

Film critic David Ehrlich continues his annual tradition of making a supercut of his favorite films of the year.

From The Daily Beast

Yes, lawyers bill by the hour but are paid an annual salary—plus bonuses.

From The Daily Beast

In 2006, Wahlberg participated in the Los Angeles Police-Celebrity Golf Tournament, an annual fundraiser.

From The Daily Beast

The governor of the fortress was provided with a safe residence in Egypt, and an annual pension of 75,000 piasters.

From Project Gutenberg

Isaacson did not visit Mrs. Chepstow again before he left London for his annual holiday.

From Project Gutenberg

In former years, Korea had paid an annual tribute or tax to China, but for some time it had been held back by this king.

From Project Gutenberg

Whether his annual expenditure be fifty pounds or fifty thousand, he tries to get his money's worth.

From Project Gutenberg

If this stinking quartet takes it into its head to levy annual blackmail, where is the money coming from?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• yearlong