ANNUAL

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does annual mean? 

• ANNUAL (noun)
  The noun ANNUAL has 2 senses:

1. a plant that completes its entire life cycle within the space of a year
2. a reference book that is published regularly once every year

  Familiarity information: ANNUAL used as a noun is rare.

• ANNUAL (adjective)
  The adjective ANNUAL has 2 senses:

1. occurring or payable every year
2. completing its life cycle within a year

  Familiarity information: ANNUAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ANNUAL (noun)

Meaning:

A plant that completes its entire life cycle within the space of a year

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("annual" is a kind of...):

flora; plant; plant life (a living organism lacking the power of locomotion)

Meaning:

A reference book that is published regularly once every year

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

yearly; annual; yearbook

Hypernyms ("annual" is a kind of...):

book of facts; reference; reference book; reference work (a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "annual"):

almanac (an annual publication containing tabular information in a particular field or fields arranged according to the calendar of a given year)

almanac; farmer's calendar (an annual publication including weather forecasts and other miscellaneous information arranged according to the calendar of a given year)

ephemeris (an annual publication containing astronomical tables that give the positions of the celestial bodies throughout the year)

• ANNUAL (adjective)

Meaning:

Occurring or payable every year

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

annual; yearly

Context examples:

an annual trip to Paris / yearly medical examinations / annual (or yearly) income

Pertainym:

year (a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days)

Meaning:

Completing its life cycle within a year

Synonyms:

one-year; annual

Context example:

a border of annual flowering plants

Domain category:

botany; phytology (the branch of biology that studies plants)

Antonym:

biennial (having a life cycle lasting two seasons)

perennial (lasting three seasons or more)