yearly

1 of 2

adjective

year·​ly ˈyir-lē How to pronounce yearly (audio)
1
: reckoned by the year
2
: occurring, appearing, made, done, or acted upon every year or once a year : annual

yearly

2 of 2

adverb

: every year : annually

Examples of yearly in a Sentence

Adjective She renews her lease on a yearly basis.
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
Since automatic adjustments were introduced in 1975, the SSA has relied on CPI-W data from July through September to determine yearly benefit increases, with the goal of ensuring payments keep pace with rising expenses—such as housing, food and health care. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025 If yearly statistics feel too abstract, just zoom in on the 24 hours before Kirk was killed. John Feinblatt, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
The Charlotte Black Film Festival continues to program a variety of features yearly. Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025 If your teen tends to change styles and aesthetics yearly, this bed’s warm wood tones can easily lean from cottagecore to clean girl and even to preppy without skipping a beat. Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for yearly

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yearly was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yearly. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

yearly

adjective
year·​ly
ˈyi(ə)r-lē
1
: occurring, made, done, or produced every year : annual
2
: calculated in terms of one year
yearly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on yearly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!