1
: historical records
—usually used in the phrase in the annals of
This event will go down in the annals of sports/war/medicine. [=will be remembered as part of the history of sports/war/medicine]
He became a major figure in the annals of justice.
2
: records of the activities of an organization
—often used in the titles of publications
She used a quote from the Annals of Family Medicine.
Cite this Entry
“Annals.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/annals. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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