annals

UK: /ˈæn^əlz/ US: /ˈænəlz/ ,(an′lz)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

an•nals /ˈænəlz/   n. [plural]

1. historical records; chronicles;
   stories of events:
   the annals of war.
2. a journal containing the formal reports of an organization:
   looking up the reference in the medical annals.

an•nal•ist /ˈænəlɪst/  n. [countable] See -ann-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

an•nals  (an′lz), n. (used with a pl. v.)

1. a record of events, esp. a yearly record, usually in chronological order.
2. historical records generally:
   the annals of war.
3. a periodical publication containing the formal reports of an organization or learned field.

• Latin annālēs (librī) literally, yearly (books), plural of annālis continuing for a year, annual, equivalent. to ann(us) a year + ālis -al¹
• Middle French)
• (1555–65

Synonyms

• 1, 2. chronicles, history.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

annals / ˈæn^əlz/ noun:plural

1. yearly records of events, generally in chronological order
2. history or records of history in general
3. regular reports of the work of a society, learned body, etc

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin (librī) annālēs yearly (books), from annus year

ˈannalist noun

ˌannalˈistic adjective