annually

Annually is an adverb meaning "once every year" or "every year." It describes the frequency of an event, action, or obligation with a cadence tied to a calendar year. The term is common in formal, financial, governmental, and academic writing, where precise timing matters.

Etymology: The word derives from the Latin annus meaning "year," passed into English through Old French annuel; the adverbial form is created by adding the suffix -ly to the adjective annual. The formation reflects a typical development of English adverbs from adjectives.

Usage and nuance: In many contexts, annually signals a regular, calendar-year recurrence and is preferred in formal documentation over "yearly." Some style guides treat "annually" and "yearly" as interchangeable, while others reserve "annually" for events anchored to a specific year or fiscal year. Note that "biennially" means every two years, and "semiannually" (or twice yearly) means twice per year.

Examples: The grant is renewed annually. The company reports earnings annually. Researchers publish results annually in the journal. In contracts, payments may be due annually or per annum, a phrase that emphasizes yearly rates rather than monthly or quarterly totals.

See also: annual, biennial, semiannual, per annum.