annals

plural noun

an·​nals ˈa-nᵊlz How to pronounce annals (audio)
1
: a record of events arranged in yearly sequence
the annals of the twentieth century
2
: historical records : chronicles
the annals of Tacitus
in the annals of sports
3
: records of the activities of an organization
quoted from the Annals of the Association of American Geographers

Examples of annals in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There really hadn’t been anything like it in the annals of modern art before. Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023 Only one other 18-year-old in NBA annals has reached those thresholds — Orlando’s Dwight Howard in 2004. Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 7 Dec. 2021 In the annals of pop psychology, few concepts are as widely understood and embraced as that of boundaries. Time, 23 Jan. 2023 Saturday on Saturday: Indianapolis' interim head coach, Jeff Saturday, may see his name etched into NFL annals on a non-interim basis after his team squandered its 33-0 advantage after two quarters. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2022 In the annals of human spaceflight, August 1972 is unforgettable. Mrigakshi Dixit, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2023 The bank also insisted that the Justice Department’s prosecution of the bank was without precedent in the annals of American history. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 17 Jan. 2023 Neutral Milk Hotel remains one of the more enigmatic bands in the annals of American indie rock, but the Feb. 24 release of a career-spanning boxed set may help shed some new light on the subject. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 10 Jan. 2023 His winning percentage trails only Rupp in Kentucky's annals. Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 30 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'annals.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin annales, from plural of annalis yearly — more at annual

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of annals was circa 1533

Dictionary Entries Near annals

Cite this Entry

“Annals.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annals. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

annals

noun plural
an·​nals ˈan-ᵊlz How to pronounce annals (audio)
1
: a record of events arranged in yearly order
2
: historical records

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