Words / B2

an-i-VURS-uh-ree/ˌænɪˈvɜːsəri/

An anniversary is a date on which something important happened in a previous year: a wedding anniversary, the school’s tenth anniversary. Birthday is only for a person (or, loosely, a project). Anniversary of + event is the pattern. In speech, the yearly date or how many years since is clear. Do not use it for a one-off commemoration that is not tied to a yearly date.

Meaning

A date on which something important happened in a previous year.

Examples

• “They celebrated the school’s tenth anniversary.”
• “They marked the anniversary of the library’s opening with a reading.”
• “The tenth anniversary fell in the middle of exams, so the party waited.”

Good to know

anniversary of + event. A yearly date of a past event. Birthday = a person. Everyday: how many years since.

Near in meaning

yearly date

New