annual
B2Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
Happening or calculated once every year.
Relating to a period of one year; (of a plant) completing its life cycle in one year or season.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an adjective. As a noun, it can refer to a yearly event (e.g., a conference), a yearly publication, or a plant that lives for one year.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. Minor lexical preferences in collocations exist (e.g., 'annual leave' more common in UK, 'vacation time' in US).
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally frequent and standard in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
annual + noun (annual report)be + annual (The festival is annual.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Annual ritual (a regularly repeated, important activity)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to regular financial, reporting, or corporate governance cycles (e.g., 'The annual general meeting is in March.').
Academic
Used for recurring scholarly events, publications, or yearly data (e.g., 'The journal publishes an annual review of literature.').
Everyday
Common for personal events, holidays, and subscriptions (e.g., 'We pay our car insurance on an annual basis.').
Technical
In botany/horticulture, describes plants with a one-year life cycle (e.g., 'Marigolds are popular annuals.').
Examples
By Part of Speech
adverb
British English
- The report is published annually.
- The fee is charged annually.
American English
- The committee meets annually in Chicago.
- Membership renews annually.
adjective
British English
- The company's annual results will be announced next week.
- We have an annual family gathering in Cornwall.
American English
- Her annual salary review is in January.
- The garden is full of colorful annual flowers.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Our school has an annual sports day.
- My birthday is an annual event.
- The annual festival attracts thousands of visitors.
- I prefer to pay for my software with an annual subscription.
- The charity publishes an annual report detailing its income and expenditure.
- There has been a significant increase in annual rainfall over the past decade.
- The board is scrutinising the draft annual budget ahead of the fiscal year.
- His research involves analysing the annual migration patterns of Arctic terns.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'ANN'iversARY' + 'U' + 'AL' (usual) = the usual thing that happens every anniversary (year).
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A CYCLE (the yearly cycle).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'ежегодный' (correct) and 'годовой' (correct for reports/plans). Do not use 'годовый' (incorrect). 'Annual plant' is 'однолетнее растение', not 'годовое растение'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'annual' (yearly) with 'biannual' (twice-yearly) or 'biennial' (every two years). Using 'annual' as a verb (it is not a verb).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a correct usage of 'annual'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is also a noun meaning a plant that lives for one year, a yearly publication, or a yearly event.
They are synonyms, but 'annual' is slightly more formal and common in official/business contexts (annual report). 'Yearly' is more common in everyday speech.
It is pronounced /ˈæn.ju.əl/, with stress on the first syllable: AN-yoo-uhl.
Yes, in contexts like 'annual income' (income over a one-year period) or 'annual plant' (a plant whose life cycle lasts a year).