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of, for, or pertaining to a year; yearly:
annual salary.
occurring or returning once a year:
an annual celebration.
Botany. living only one growing season, as beans or corn.
performed or executed during a year:
the annual course of the sun.
Entomology. living or lasting but one season or year, as certain insects or colonies of insects.
Botany. a plant living only one year or season.
a book, report, etc., published annually.
Contemporary Examples

Saint Barthélemy, my annual winter respite, is my favorite of the Caribbean islands.
We’d Rather Be in Beautiful—and Warm—St. Barts Architectural Digest January 25, 2014

He never attended the large annual antiabortion rallies in Lafayette Park across the White House, always phoning in.
What Reagan Could Tell the Right Matthew Dallek November 13, 2009

The occasion was the annual dinner of the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee, a very big organization at the time.
Bob Dylan, Joan Baez & More Music at 1963’s March on Washington Michael Tomasky August 26, 2013

Statement of President Barack Obama Upon Being Awarded The First annual Golden Obama.
Obama Wins Heisman Trophy! Mark Katz October 8, 2009

New homes sales, reported Monday, soared 18.6 percent from April, and were at the highest annual rate since 2008.
How Obamacare Helped Crash the Economy Daniel Gross June 24, 2014

Historical Examples

The next annual meeting took place in Richmond, Dec. 3, 4, 1890.
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV Various

Such, at least, was my luck when starting for my annual French tour in 1887.
The Roof of France Matilda Betham-Edwards

If it is desired, however, to keep the old top, it will be best to cut back the annual growth heavily at the winter pruning.
American Grape Training Liberty Hyde (L.H.) Bailey

Then he added, “I must go down to thank Dixon; I guess this is his annual day for smiling.”
Thoroughbreds W. A. Fraser

He makes an annual or biennial report, showing the financial condition of the State.
Elements of Civil Government Alexander L. Peterman

adjective
occurring, done, etc, once a year or every year; yearly: an annual income
lasting for a year: an annual subscription
noun
a plant that completes its life cycle in less than one year Compare perennial (sense 3), biennial (sense 3)
a book, magazine, etc, published once every year
adj.

late 14c., from Old French annuel (12c.) or directly from Late Latin annualem (nominative annualis), corresponding to Latin annalis as adjective form of annus “year,” from PIE *at-no-, from root *at- “to go,” on notion of “period gone through” (cf. Sanskrit atati “goes, wanders,” Gothic aþnam (dative plural) “year,” Oscan akno- “year, holiday, time of offering”). Used of plants since 1710.
n.

c.1400, originally “service commemorating the anniversary of a person’s death,” from annual (adj.). By 1824 as short for annual plant.
annual
(ān’y-əl)
Adjective Completing a life cycle in one growing season.

Noun An annual plant. Annuals germinate, blossom, produce seed, and die in one growing season. They are common in environments with short growing seasons. Most desert plants are annuals, germinating and flowering after rainfall. Many common weeds, wild flowers, garden flowers, and vegetables are annuals. Examples of annuals include tomatoes, corn, wheat, sunflowers, petunias, and zinnias. Compare biennial, perennial.