annual

UK: /ˈænjuəl/ US: /ˈænjuəl/ ,(an′yo̅o̅ əl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

an•nu•al /ˈænyuəl/   adj. [before a noun]

1. of or for a year;
   yearly:
   my annual salary.
2. occurring or returning once a year:
   an annual celebration.
3. Botany (of a plant) living for only one growing season:
   an annual plant.

n. [countable]

4. Botany a plant that lives for one growing season.
5. a publication issued once a year.

an•nu•al•ly, adv. See -ann-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

an•nu•al  (an′yo̅o̅ əl), adj. 

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. Insects [Entomol.] living or lasting but one season or year, as certain insects or colonies of insects.

n. 

6. Botany a plant living only one year or season.
7. a book, report, etc., published annually.

• Latin
• Anglo-French
• Late Latin annuālis, equivalent. to Latin annu(us) yearly (derivative of annus circuit of the sun, year) + -ālis -al¹; replacing Middle English annuel
• 1350–1400

an′nu•al•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

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 perennial3, biennial3
2. a book, magazine, etc, published once every year

Etymology: 14th Century: from Late Latin annuālis, from Latin annuus yearly, from annus year

ˈannually adverb