an·nu·al
ˈan-yə(-wə)l 
-yü-əl
1
: covering the period of a year
annual rainfall
annual income
2
: occurring or happening every year or once a year : yearly
an annual reunion
an annual physical checkup
3
: completing the life cycle in one growing season or single year
annual plants
1
: an event that occurs yearly
2
: a publication appearing yearly
the high-school annual
3
: something that lasts one year or season
specifically
: a plant that completes its life cycle in one growing season
Examples of annual in a Sentence
Adjective
The annual meeting is in July.
The company's earnings for last year are published in the annual report.
We had more snow this year than the average annual amount.
The company charges an annual fee of $45.
Noun
We planted some annuals in front of the house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2026
Hours earlier, Orban's supporters had massed in front of parliament on the country's annual commemoration of its 1848 revolution against Habsburg rule.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2026
Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Landscape the backyard with evergreen anchor plants and fill in with a variety of perennials and annuals that bloom each season.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for annual
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Adjective
The average annual salary for these new positions is expected to be at least $131,000, significantly above the Mecklenburg County average wage.
—Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2026
Hours earlier, Orban's supporters had massed in front of parliament on the country's annual commemoration of its 1848 revolution against Habsburg rule.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
Newhall/Santa Clarita Towsley Canyon in Newhall, nestled in the Santa Susana Mountains just off the Golden State Freeway, and Placerita Canyon State Park, situated between the San Gabriel Mountains and Mojave Desert, are reliable spots to see California poppies and other common annuals.
—Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Landscape the backyard with evergreen anchor plants and fill in with a variety of perennials and annuals that bloom each season.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for annual
Cite this Entry
“Annual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annual. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
annual
1 of 2 adjective
an·nu·al
ˈan-y(ə-w)əl
1
: covering the period of a year
annual rainfall
2
: occurring or performed once a year : yearly
an annual meeting
3
: completing the life cycle in one growing season or single year
annual plants
annually
adverb
-ē
annual
2 of 2 noun1
: a publication appearing yearly
2
: an annual plant
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English annual "for a year," from early French annuel and Latin annualis (both, same meaning), derived from Latin annus "year"
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