English Reference
adjective · noun

annual

adj. · n.
US /ˈænjuəɫ/ UK /ˈænjuːəl/ an·nu·al UK spelling annuals

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    adj.happening or done once every year.

    adj.occurring, appearing, or made once every year; recurring at yearly intervals.

    Simple

    The company holds its annual meeting every October to discuss the budget.

    In context

    The annual report provides a comprehensive overview of the firm's financial performance and strategic objectives for the upcoming fiscal year.

    Usage

    Usually placed before the noun.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    adj.lasting for only one year or one growing season.

    adj.completing a life cycle or lasting for only one year or growing season.

    Simple

    Sunflowers are annual plants, so you have to plant new seeds every spring.

    In context

    Annual crops like maize and wheat must be replanted each season, unlike perennial grasses that regrow from the same root system.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a book or magazine that is published once a year.

    n.a publication, such as a yearbook or a collection of stories, issued once a year.

    Simple

    When I was a child, I always received a Christmas annual full of comic strips.

    In context

    The society publishes a scholarly annual that compiles the most significant research papers produced by its members over the last twelve months.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Science

    n.a plant that lives, flowers, and dies within one year.

    n.a plant that completes its entire life cycle, from germination to seed production, within a single growing season.

    Simple

    The gardener filled the pots with colorful annuals that would bloom all summer.

    In context

    While perennials provide the garden's structure, many hobbyists rely on annuals for intense, season-long color displays.

Usage annual report · annual budget · annual exercises

The girls are training for an annual holiday show and get snowed in by a blizzard.

The Guardian· 14 Aug 2026

Consumer prices in July were up 3.4% from a year ago — a smaller annual increase than in May or June.

NPR· 12 Aug 2026

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.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin annālis
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Very common
Updated