anniversary
an-ih-VUR-suh-ree
/ˌænɪˈvɜːrsəri/
The date on which an event took place in a previous year.
Can refer to both happy events (weddings) and somber ones (deaths or disasters), though in romance, it is celebratory.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'anniversarius,' meaning 'returning yearly.' It combines 'annus' (year) and 'vertere' (to turn), literally describing the point where the year 'turns' back to the same date.
Word relationships
- commemoration: A commemoration is the act of remembering, while an anniversary is the specific date.
Commonly confused with
- birthday: A birthday is specifically the anniversary of a person's birth, while anniversary is more general.
Collocations
- wedding anniversary
- silver anniversary
- golden anniversary
- mark an anniversary
Example sentences
- "A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity." A quote about the significance of the date. (Paul Sweeney)
- "They decided to return to the restaurant where they met to celebrate their tenth anniversary." Planning a celebration.
Memory hook
An 'annual' event where the calendar 'turns' (vers) back to a special day. The year turns back to the start.
When not to use
Don't use 'anniversary' for events that happen monthly; that is technically a 'mensiversary,' though rarely used.
Fun facts
- The 75th anniversary is known as the Diamond Anniversary, but it was originally the 60th until Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
Related words
Explore more words
celebrate, jubilee, memento, recurrent, take place, reminiscence
Also appears in
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