anniversary
an-uh-VUR-suh-ree
/ˌænɪˈvɜːrsəri/
The date on which an event took place in a previous year.
Can be for happy events (weddings) or sad ones (deaths/disasters).
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'anniversarius,' meaning 'returning yearly.' It describes the point where the year has 'turned' back to the same date.
Commonly confused with
- birthday: A birthday is specifically the anniversary of a birth.
Collocations
- wedding anniversary
- mark an anniversary
- annual anniversary
Example sentences
- "They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a big party." A celebration of marriage.
- "Today marks the tenth anniversary of the earthquake." A historical marker.
Memory hook
The 'Ann' (Year) has 'Versed' (Turned) around. The year turns back.
When not to use
Don't use it for a 'month-iversary'—the root 'ann' specifically means year.
Fun facts
- The word 'diamond anniversary' usually refers to 60 or 75 years, depending on the tradition.
Related words
Explore more words
celebrate, jubilee, memento, recurrent, take place, reminiscence
Also appears in
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