What does annually mean?
Annually is an adverb meaning once a year or every year, indicating that something occurs, is performed, or is due at yearly intervals. It appears constantly in formal and practical language: companies report earnings annually, organizations hold conferences annually, insurers bill premiums annually, and governments review policies annually. The word describes frequency rather than duration — it answers 'how often?' rather than 'for how long?' — which makes it distinct from terms like biennially (every two years) and semiannually (twice a year). Derived from the Latin annus ('year'), it belongs to a family of words including annual, annuity, and perennial. Because it carries an official, scheduled connotation, annually suits professional writing especially well, though it appears freely in everyday speech whenever a yearly rhythm is being described.
adverbOnce a year; every year. Used to indicate that something happens, is done, or is paid each year.
- Once every year: describing events, payments, publications, or reviews that occur each year.
"The company publishes its financial results annually."
"Membership fees are billed annually on the anniversary of signup."
"The festival takes place annually in the first week of June."
The word 'annually' comes from Latin 'annus' — the same root that gives us 'annual', 'annuity', and even the 'Anna' in 'banana'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of annually
Annually derives from the Latin annus, meaning 'year', via the adjective annualis, which gave English the word 'annual'. The adverbial form developed from this root, entering English usage by the early modern period as yearly cycles of payment, publication, and ceremony became formalized. It shares its origin with cognates such as annuity (from Medieval Latin annualitas, tied to yearly payments) and, more distantly, words like perennial and per annum expressions built on the same Latin year-root.
Related word forms
How annually is actually used
Common in formal, business, and administrative contexts — contracts, reports, subscriptions, and event schedules. It refers to frequency (how often), not duration (for how long), so it should not be used to mean 'lasting a year'.
Easily confused with annually
Biennially means once every two years, whereas annually means once every year.
Semiannually means twice a year, whereas annually means only once per year.