anniversary
gb/ˌænəvˈɚsɚi/ us/ˌænəvˈɚsɚi/
A2
English
~ 3900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
event
1
Yearly date marking past event
The date each year when something important happened before.
Usage pattern:
[someone's] anniversary
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'anniversary' with 'birthday'. A birthday is for a person’s birth; an anniversary can be for any event.
Synonyms
commemoration (More formal and general; can refer to acts or events, not just yearly dates.)
Antonyms
ordinary day (A day without any special or remembered event.)
Collocations
celebrate an anniversary
|wedding anniversary
|mark an anniversary
|anniversary celebration
|anniversary gift
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|history
|time
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary with a trip to Paris.
- The company is planning a big party for its 50th anniversary.
- Today marks the anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty.
- Her parents forgot their anniversary this year.
- On the anniversary of the accident, they held a memorial service.
Learner examples
- Today is our wedding anniversary.
- We will have a party for our school’s anniversary.
- They remember the event every anniversary.
- My parents celebrate their anniversary in June.
- The shop gives discounts on its anniversary.
Grammar
Expressions
anniversary celebration
1/ˌænəvˈɚsɚi sˌɛləbɹˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Event honoring yearly date
A party or event for the date when something happened before.
Examples
- The anniversary celebration lasted all weekend.
- They invited all their friends to the anniversary celebration.
anniversary gift
1/ˌænəvˈɚsɚi ɡˈɪft/
fixed phrase
Present for yearly event date
A present you give someone on the date when something important happened before, like a wedding.
Examples
- He bought her a necklace as an anniversary gift.
- They exchanged small anniversary gifts after dinner.
celebrate an anniversary
1/sˈɛləbɹˌeɪt ən ˌænəvˈɚsɚi/
fixed phrase
Celebrate yearly event date
To have a party or do something special on the date when something happened before.
Examples
- They celebrated their anniversary at a fancy restaurant.
- We celebrated the company’s anniversary with a big meeting.
mark an anniversary
1/mˈɑɹk ən ˌænəvˈɚsɚi/
fixed phrase
Observe yearly event date
To celebrate or remember the date each year when something important happened.
Examples
- The town marked the anniversary with a parade.
- They marked their anniversary by visiting the place where they first met.
wedding anniversary
1/wˈɛdɪŋ ˌænəvˈɚsɚi/
fixed phrase
Yearly celebration of marriage date
The day each year that marks when two people got married.
Examples
- They celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary with a trip to Italy.
- They went to Italy for their 25th wedding anniversary.
- We usually go out for dinner on our wedding anniversary.
- I forgot our wedding anniversary and had to make it up to her.