The word annual is derived from the Latin annuum, or year. It has several distinct meanings in English.

It can refer to any event which happens yearly.


It can refer to a plant with a lifespan of a year or less. These are generally plants adapted to life as weeds or in difficult habitats where quick flowering and seeding are necessary.


It can refer to a publication, a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip which comes out yearly. If it is not a book or a comic, it may be brought out to praise some celebrity or celebrities, or even a holiday camp (such as the Butlins annual).

List of collectable annuals: