annuitant: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Legal, Financial
Quick answer
What does “annuitant” mean?
A person who receives an annuity, a fixed sum of money paid to someone each year, typically for the rest of their life.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who receives an annuity, a fixed sum of money paid to someone each year, typically for the rest of their life.
Specifically refers to a person entitled to receive regular payments from an annuity contract, often purchased as a form of retirement income or as a settlement from a pension scheme. The payments can be for a fixed term or for life.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The term has the same precise meaning in both legal and financial contexts.
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both varieties. No regional connotations.
Frequency
Equally low and specialized in both British and American English.
Grammar
How to Use “annuitant” in a Sentence
The [adjective] annuitant receives payments.Payments are made to the annuitant.The contract names the annuitant and the beneficiary.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in financial services, insurance, and pension fund administration documents.
Academic
Appears in law, economics, and actuarial science papers discussing retirement products.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Core term in legal contracts, pension scheme documentation, and actuarial tables.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “annuitant”
- Using it to mean any retiree or pensioner (it is specific to annuity contracts).
- Confusing it with 'annuitizer' or the entity paying the annuity.
- Misspelling as 'annuitent'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often associated with retirement, an annuitant is anyone entitled to annuity payments, which could be from a structured legal settlement or an inheritance, regardless of age.
The annuitant is the person whose life measures the duration of the annuity payments and who receives the income. A beneficiary is a person who may receive any remaining benefits or a death benefit after the annuitant dies.
Yes, in a joint-and-survivor annuity, there are two annuitants (e.g., a married couple). Payments continue until the death of the second annuitant.
No. It is a specialist term used almost exclusively in financial, legal, and insurance contexts. The average person would use broader terms like 'pensioner' or 'retiree' in casual conversation.
A person who receives an annuity, a fixed sum of money paid to someone each year, typically for the rest of their life.
Annuitant is usually formal, legal, financial in register.
Annuitant: in British English it is pronounced /əˈnjuːɪt(ə)nt/, and in American English it is pronounced /əˈnuːɪt(ə)nt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None (term is purely technical)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'annuity' (annual payment) + '-ant' (a person who does/is something) = a person who receives an annual payment.
Conceptual Metaphor
NONE (Literal legal/financial role).
Practice
Quiz
What is an annuitant?