Standard Lemma guide

annual

adj · name · noun · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈæn.ju.əl/
  • UK: /ˈæn.jəl/
  • Canada, US: /ˈæn.ju.əl/
  • /ˈænɪu̯.əl/ Wales, Ottawa Valley
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • South-Asia: /ˈanwəl/
  • South-Asia: /ˈan(j)ʊwəl/
  • rhymes with -ænjuəl
  • rhymes with -ænjəl
  • CMU ARPABET: AE1 N Y UW0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Happening once every year.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • an annual general meeting; an annual publication

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, for, or relating to a whole year, often as a recurring cycle; determined or reckoned by the year; accumulating in the course of a year; performed, executed, or completed over the course of a year. See also circannual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • an annual salary; average annual profits; the annual course of the sun

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Having a life cycle that is completed in only one growing season, e.g., beans, corn, marigold. See Annual plant in Wikipedia. Compare biennial, perennial.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Living or lasting just one season or year, as certain insects or insect colonies.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, entomology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

name

Meaning 5

A town in Oriental, Morocco.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An annual publication; a book, periodical, journal, report, comic book, yearbook, etc., which is published serially once a year, which may or may not be in addition to regular weekly or monthly publication.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I read the magazine, but I usually don't purchase the annuals.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

An annual plant; a plant with a life span of just one growing season; a plant which naturally germinates, flowers and dies in one year. Compare biennial, perennial.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

Examples

  • I can't wait to plant my annuals in the spring.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A medical checkup taking place once a year.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A pantomime taking place once a year.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, theater

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective

Meaning 10

completing its life cycle within a year

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a border of annual flowering plants

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: one-year

Antonyms: biennial, perennial

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

occurring or payable every year

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an annual trip to Paris
  • yearly medical examinations
  • annual (or yearly) income

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: yearly

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

a reference book that is published regularly once every year

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: yearly, yearbook

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reference book, reference, reference work, book of facts

Narrower terms: almanac, farmer's calendar, ephemeris

13

noun

Meaning 13

(botany) a plant that completes its entire life cycle within the space of a year

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plant, flora, plant life

History

Etymology

First attested around 1382, borrowed from Late Latin annuālem, annuālis, related to Latin annālis, adjective form of annus (“year”). Used to categorize plants since 1710.

Borrowed from Spanish Annual.

Across languages

Translations

148 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: سَنَوِيّ (sanawiyy) — happening once a year
  • Armenian: տարեկան (tarekan) — happening once a year
  • Assamese: বছৰেকীয়া (bosorekia) — happening once a year
  • Asturian: añal — happening once a year
  • Asturian: anual — happening once a year
  • Belarusian: штогадо́вы (štohadóvy) — happening once a year
  • Bulgarian: ежего́ден (ežegóden) — happening once a year
  • Burmese: နှစ်စဉ် (hnaccany) — happening once a year
  • Burmese: နှစ်ချုပ် (hnachkyup) — happening once a year
  • Catalan: anual — happening once a year
  • Catalan: anyal — happening once a year
  • Catalan: annu — happening once a year
  • Cebuano: tinuig — happening once a year
  • Chinese Mandarin: 年度 (niándù) — happening once a year
  • Chinese Mandarin: 每年 (měi nián) — happening once a year
  • Czech: výroční — happening once a year
  • Czech: každoroční — happening once a year
  • Danish: årlig — happening once a year
  • Dutch: jaarlijks — happening once a year
  • Esperanto: jara — happening once a year
  • Finnish: vuosittainen — happening once a year
  • Finnish: jokavuotinen — happening once a year
  • French: annuel — happening once a year
  • Galician: anual — happening once a year
  • Georgian: წლიური (c̣liuri) — happening once a year
  • Georgian: ყოველწლიური (q̇ovelc̣liuri) — happening once a year
  • German: jährlich — happening once a year
  • Greek: ετήσιος (etísios) — happening once a year
  • Greek: ενιαύσιος (eniáfsios) — happening once a year
  • Hebrew: שנתי (shnati) — happening once a year
  • Hindi: वार्षिक (vārṣik) — happening once a year
  • Indonesian: tahunan — happening once a year
  • Irish: bliantúil — happening once a year
  • Italian: annuale — happening once a year
  • Italian: annuo — happening once a year
  • Japanese: 毎年 — happening once a year
  • Korean: 매년의 (maenyeonui) — happening once a year
  • Central Kurdish: ساڵانە (sallane) — happening once a year
  • Latin: annuus — happening once a year
  • Latin: anniversārius — happening once a year
  • Macedonian: годишен (godišen) — happening once a year
  • Malay: تاهونن — happening once a year
  • Malay: tahunan — happening once a year
  • Maltese: annwali — happening once a year
  • Manx: bleinoil — happening once a year
  • Māori: ā-tau — happening once a year
  • Māori: huritau — happening once a year
  • Norman: annuel — happening once a year
  • Norwegian Bokmål: årlig — happening once a year
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: årleg — happening once a year
  • Occitan: annadièr — happening once a year
  • Odia: ବାର୍ଷିକ (bārṣika) — happening once a year
  • Pashto: کالنی (kâlanay) — happening once a year
  • Persian: سالانه (sâlâne) — happening once a year
  • Polish: doroczny — happening once a year
  • Polish: coroczny — happening once a year
  • Portuguese: anual — happening once a year
  • Portuguese: ânuo — happening once a year
  • Romanian: anual — happening once a year
  • Russian: ежего́дный (ježegódnyj) — happening once a year
  • Russian: годи́чный (godíčnyj) — happening once a year
  • Russian: годово́й (godovój) — happening once a year
  • Scots: annual — happening once a year
  • Scottish Gaelic: bliadhnail — happening once a year
  • Slovak: výročný — happening once a year
  • Slovak: každoročný — happening once a year
  • Spanish: anual — happening once a year
  • Spanish: anuo — happening once a year
  • Swedish: årlig — happening once a year
  • Tagalog: taunan — happening once a year
  • Tajik: солона (solona) — happening once a year
  • Telugu: వార్షిక (vārṣika) — happening once a year
  • Telugu: సాంవత్సరిక (sāṁvatsarika) — happening once a year
  • Turkish: yıllık — happening once a year
  • Ukrainian: щорі́чний (ščoríčnyj) — happening once a year
  • Ukrainian: річни́й (ričnýj) — happening once a year
  • Volapük: alyelik — happening once a year
  • Yiddish: יאָריק (yorik) — happening once a year
  • Zazaki: šerek — happening once a year
  • Belarusian: гадавы́ (hadavý) — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Belarusian: ро́чны (róčny) — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Bulgarian: годи́шен (godíšen) — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Cebuano: tinuig — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Czech: roční — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Finnish: vuosi- — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Finnish: vuosittainen — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Finnish: vuotuinen — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Galician: anual — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Hindi: वार्षिक (vārṣik) — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Polish: roczny — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Romanian: anual — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Russian: годово́й (godovój) — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Spanish: anual — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Spanish: anuo — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Ukrainian: річни́й (ričnýj) — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Ukrainian: рокови́й (rokovýj) — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Zazaki: šeraser — of, for, or relating to a whole year
  • Bulgarian: едногоди́шен (ednogodíšen) — of a plant
  • Finnish: yksivuotinen — of a plant
  • Greek: μονοετής (monoetís) — of a plant
  • Hungarian: egynyári — of a plant
  • Icelandic: einær — of a plant
  • Kazakh: біржылдық (bırjyldyq) — of a plant
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ettårig — of a plant
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: eittårig — of a plant
  • Polish: jednoroczny — of a plant
  • Russian: одноле́тний (odnolétnij) — of a plant
  • Zazaki: šerd — of a plant
  • Finnish: yksivuotinen — living or lasting one year or season
  • Galician: anual — living or lasting one year or season
  • Hindi: वार्षिक (vārṣik) — living or lasting one year or season
  • Kazakh: біржылдық (bırjyldyq) — living or lasting one year or season
  • Spanish: anual — living or lasting one year or season
  • Spanish: anuo — living or lasting one year or season
  • Zazaki: naser — living or lasting one year or season
  • Zazaki: emser — living or lasting one year or season
  • Spanish: Annual — city
  • Tarifit: anwař — city
  • Asturian: anuariu — annual publication
  • Bulgarian: годишник (godišnik) — annual publication
  • Bulgarian: едногодишно растение (ednogodišno rastenie) — annual publication
  • Catalan: anuari — annual publication
  • Czech: ročenka — annual publication
  • Finnish: vuosikirja — annual publication
  • Galician: anuario — annual publication
  • Georgian: ყოველწლიური გამოცემა (q̇ovelc̣liuri gamocema) — annual publication
  • Georgian: ყოველწლიური პუბლიკაცია (q̇ovelc̣liuri ṗubliḳacia) — annual publication
  • Hebrew: שנתון (shnaton) — annual publication
  • Hindi: वार्षिक (vārṣik) — annual publication
  • Macedonian: годишник (godišnik) — annual publication
  • Norwegian Bokmål: årbok — annual publication
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: årbok — annual publication
  • Polish: rocznik — annual publication
  • Portuguese: anuário — annual publication
  • Portuguese: anal — annual publication
  • Romanian: anuar — annual publication
  • Russian: ежего́дник (ježegódnik) — annual publication
  • Spanish: anuario — annual publication
  • Ukrainian: щорі́чник (ščoríčnyk) — annual publication
  • Vietnamese: niên san — annual publication
  • Welsh: blwyddiadur — annual publication
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一年生植物 (yīniánshēng zhíwù) — annual plant
  • Czech: letnička — annual plant
  • Czech: jednoletka — annual plant
  • Finnish: yksivuotinen kasvi — annual plant
  • Hungarian: egynyári növény — annual plant
  • Māori: tautahi — annual plant
  • Finnish: vuositarkastus — medical checkup
Real reading context

annual in complete knowledge articles