annals
Americannoun
-
a record of events, especially a yearly record, usually in chronological order.
- Synonyms:
- history, chronicles
-
historical records generally.
the annals of war.
- Synonyms:
- history, chronicles
-
a periodical publication containing the formal reports of an organization or learned field.
plural noun
-
yearly records of events, generally in chronological order
-
history or records of history in general
-
regular reports of the work of a society, learned body, etc
Other Word Forms
- annalist noun
- annalistic adjective
Etymology
Origin of annals
1555–65; (< Middle French ) < Latin annālēs ( librī ) literally, yearly (books), plural of annālis continuing for a year, annual, equivalent to ann ( us ) a year + ālis -al 1
Explanation
Annals are chronological historical records. Some annals recount the achievements of war heroes; others, in the form of high school yearbooks, record historically terrible hairstyles. Annals comes from the Latin word annus, meaning year. As the word itself suggests, many annals are yearly records, but this is not always the case. You may encounter the word annals in the phrase “annals of history,” which refers not to one specific historical record but the collection of all recorded history. Scholarly societies often refer to their regular reports as annals, as in the Annals of the International Society for Porcupine Studies.
Vocabulary lists containing annals
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Vocabulary from "John L. O'Sullivan on 'Manifest Destiny' " from 1839
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The Fellowship of the Ring
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lawrence has found a character formula viewers find appealing, and Carell’s affability sells Greg’s stumbles, even ones pulled from the annals of early aughts bro comedies.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
“Houston, we have a problem” may be the most famous line in the annals of spaceflight.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
Franjo von Allmen may have written his name into the annals of Olympic alpine skiing, but the grounded Swiss racer said ski history was wasted on him.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
Where does this achievement stand in the annals?
From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025
In the annals of chess, this was the first fistfight ever recorded by two grandmasters, both prospective World Champions.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
