ENGLISH
REFERENCE

year

n.
US //ˈjɪɹ// UK //jˈiə// year
  1. 1 365 days / 12 months (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a period of 365 days (or 366 in a leap year) divided into 12 months.

    the period of approximately 365.25 days required for the Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun.

    Example

    We moved to this house exactly one year ago today.

    Example

    The company reported a significant increase in global revenue compared to the previous year, despite the challenging economic climate.

    Usage

    Countable; usually takes a plural form when referring to a quantity of time.
    • calendar year
    Pitfall
    I am 25 year old.
    I am 25 years old.

    When stating your age, 'year' must be plural unless it is used as an adjective before a noun, like 'a 25-year-old man'.

  2. 2 calendar period (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    the time from January 1st to December 31st.

    the period of time starting on January 1 and ending on December 31 in the Gregorian calendar.

    Example

    Happy New Year to everyone in the office.

    Example

    The festival is held every year in late spring to celebrate the local harvest and community traditions.
    • twelvemonth
Show 3 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 school or work cycle (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a part of the year used for a specific activity, like school or business.

    a period of time, often less than twelve months, dedicated to a specific recurring cycle such as education or finance.

    Example

    The school year starts in September and ends in June.

    Example

    The university's academic year is divided into two semesters, with a short winter break between them.

    Usage

    Often modified by another noun, such as 'school year', 'academic year', or 'fiscal year'.
  2. 4 age or grade level (n.)
    B1 Intermediate British English

    a group of students who are at the same level in school.

    a cohort of students who enter or complete a level of education at the same time.

    Example

    My daughter is in Year 4 at the local primary school.

    Example

    The entire year was gathered in the assembly hall to hear the headteacher's announcement regarding the upcoming field trip.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the UK to refer to school levels, whereas American English prefers 'grade'.

    Teacher's tip

    In the UK, students might say 'I am in Year 10', while in the US they would say 'I am in 10th grade'.
  3. 5 astronomy (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    the time it takes for any planet to go around its sun.

    the orbital period of any celestial body around its primary star.

    Example

    A year on Mars is much longer than a year on Earth.

    Example

    Astronomers calculated that the distant exoplanet has a year lasting only three Earth days due to its proximity to its host star.

    Usage

    Often specified by the name of the planet, such as a 'Martian year'.
    • orbital period
Origin

From Middle English yeer, yere, from Old English ġēar (“year”), from Proto-West Germanic jār, from Proto-Germanic jērą (“year”), from Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥ (“year, spring”). Doublet of hora and hour. Cognates Cognate with Scots year (“year”), North Frisian djooar, iir, Jaar, jeer, juar, jäär (“year”), Saterland Frisian Jíer (“year”), West Frisian jier (“year”), Bavarian Joahr, Jåar, Jåhr (“year”), Cimbrian djar, jaar (“year”), Dutch jaar (“year”), German Jahr (“year”), Limburgish jaor, Johr, Joër (“year”), Low German Johr, Jåhr (“year”), Luxembourgish Joer (“year”), Mòcheno jor (“year”), Swabian Johr (“year”), Vilamovian jür (“year”), West Flemish joar (“year”), Yiddish יאָר (yor), יאָהר (yohr, “year”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish år (“year”), Faroese, Icelandic ár (“year”), Gothic 𐌾𐌴𐍂 (jēr, “year”).

Word family
Idioms5 entries

© 2026 English Reference