anniversaries
|an-ni-ver-sa-ries|
🇺🇸
/ˌænəˈvɜrsəriz/
🇬🇧
/ˌænɪˈvɜːs(ə)rɪz/
(anniversary)
yearly commemoration
Etymology
'anniversary' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'anniversarius', where 'annus' meant 'year' and 'versus' (from vertere) meant 'to turn' (i.e., 'returning yearly').
'anniversarius' passed into Old French as 'anniversaire' and then into Middle English, eventually becoming the modern English word 'anniversary'.
Initially, it meant 'returning yearly' or 'the yearly recurrence of a date'; over time it came to mean both 'the date itself' and 'the celebration of that date'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the date on which an event took place in a previous year (e.g., the annual recurrence of the date of a past event)
Many people remember historical anniversaries with ceremonies.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a celebration or observance held to mark such a date (the event of celebrating a past occurrence)
They held several anniversaries to celebrate the company's founding.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/15 23:42