annual

1 of 2

adjective

an·​nu·​al ˈan-yə(-wə)l How to pronounce annual (audio)
-yü-əl
1
: covering the period of a year
annual rainfall
annual income
2
: occurring or happening every year or once a year : yearly
an annual reunion
an annual physical checkup
3
: completing the life cycle in one growing season or single year
annual plants

annual

2 of 2

noun

1
: an event that occurs yearly
2
: a publication appearing yearly
the high-school annual
3
: something that lasts one year or season
specifically : a plant that completes its life cycle in one growing season

Examples of annual in a Sentence

Adjective The annual meeting is in July. The company's earnings for last year are published in the annual report. We had more snow this year than the average annual amount. The company charges an annual fee of $45. Noun We planted some annuals in front of the house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Srinagar Tulip Festival Location: Kashmir, India Dates: March 15, 2025 – April 20, 2025 The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in Kashmir, India, plays home to the annual Srinagar Tulip Festival—the largest tulip festival in Asia. Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025 Adebayo was wearing a sleeve on his left leg and walking with a limp at the team’s annual Family Festival on Saturday. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
The Tulip Bulb Multiplication Process While many gardeners treat tulip bulbs as annuals, they can be left in the ground as a perennial. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025 Four O’clocks are perennials in San Diego, and annuals in other locations in the United States. Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for annual

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French annuel, from Late Latin annualis, blend of Latin annuus yearly (from annus year) and Latin annalis yearly (from annus year); probably akin to Goth athnam (dative plural) years, Sanskrit atati he walks, goes

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of annual was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Annual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annual. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

annual

1 of 2 adjective
an·​nu·​al ˈan-y(ə-w)əl How to pronounce annual (audio)
1
: covering the period of a year
annual rainfall
2
: occurring or performed once a year : yearly
an annual meeting
3
: completing the life cycle in one growing season or single year
annual plants
annually
adverb

annual

2 of 2 noun
1
: a publication appearing yearly
2
: an annual plant
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English annual "for a year," from early French annuel and Latin annualis (both, same meaning), derived from Latin annus "year"

More from Merriam-Webster on annual

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