Annually

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈæn.jʊə.li/

Definitions

1. An occurrence that takes place once in every calendar year
2. A situation that happens at yearly intervals in a consistent manner
3. Happening or produced once each year without fail

Etymology: "Annually" is simply the adverb form of "annual," with the suffix "-ly" added to it. "Annual" came into English through Middle English "annuel," borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Old French, which in turn drew on the Latin "annuālis," meaning "yearly," built from "annus," "year." The Latin root "annus" is among the oldest in this family of words, and it traces back to a very ancient word for "year" that also lies behind many words in other Indo-European languages. The ending "-ly" has an even older pedigree than the word it attaches to. It descends from a Germanic word meaning "body" or "form," which in Old English became "-līċe," a suffix that turned adjectives into adverbs. Over centuries "-līċe" wore down to "-ly," and English speakers attached it freely to native and borrowed stems alike, so "annual" could take it just as readily as "slow" or "quick."

Synonyms: yearly, once a year

Antonyms: monthly, weekly, daily