anniversariness
|an-ni-ver-sar-i-ness|
🇺🇸
/ˌænɪˈvɝsərnəs/
🇬🇧
/ˌænɪˈvɜːs(ə)rɪnəs/
the quality of being an anniversary
Etymology
'anniversariness' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the English noun 'anniversary' plus the suffix '-ness' (from Old English '-nes(s)a'), where '-ness' denotes 'the state or quality of'.
'anniversariness' was formed in recent English by adding '-ness' to 'anniversary'. 'Anniversary' itself comes into English via Middle English from Old French 'aniversaire' / 'anniversaire', which derives from Latin 'anniversarius' (from 'annus' meaning 'year' and a sense of 'returning').
Initially Latin 'anniversarius' conveyed the idea of 'returning yearly'; over time it became the noun 'anniversary' meaning 'a yearly commemoration', and 'anniversariness' developed to name the abstract quality or atmosphere of being an anniversary.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being an anniversary; the characteristic or feel of something being associated with an anniversary or yearly commemoration.
The anniversariness of the event was evident in the decorations and speeches.
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Noun 2
a subjective impression or atmosphere that signals a yearly remembrance (used mainly in descriptive or literary contexts).
There was a quiet anniversariness about the house every March, as if the rooms remembered.
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Last updated: 2025/08/16 00:07