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View synonyms for

year

[yeer]

noun

  1. a period of 365 or 366 days, in the Gregorian calendar, divided into 12 calendar months, now reckoned as beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31 calendar year, or civil year.

  2. a period of approximately the same length in other calendars.

  3. a space of 12 calendar months calculated from any point.

    This should have been finished a year ago.

  4. Astronomy.

    1. Also called lunar year.a division of time equal to 12 lunar months.

    2. tropical year.

    3. sidereal year.

  5. the time in which any planet completes a revolution round the sun.

    the Martian year.

  6. a full round of the seasons.

  7. a period out of every 12 months, devoted to a certain pursuit, activity, or the like.

    the academic year.

  8. years,

    1. age.

    2. old age.

      a man of years.

    3. time; period.

      the years of hardship and frustration.

    4. an unusually long period of time of indefinite length.

      I haven't spoken to them in years.

  9. a group of students entering school or college, graduating, or expecting to graduate in the same year; class.



year

/ ɪə /

noun

  1. Also called: civil year.the period of time, the calendar year , containing 365 days or in a leap year 366 days. It is based on the Gregorian calendar, being divided into 12 calendar months, and is reckoned from January 1 to December 31

  2. a period of twelve months from any specified date, such as one based on the four seasons

  3. a specific period of time, usually occupying a definite part or parts of a twelve-month period, used for some particular activity

    a school year

  4. Also called: astronomical year. tropical year.the period of time, the solar year , during which the earth makes one revolution around the sun, measured between two successive vernal equinoxes: equal to 365.24219 days

  5. the period of time, the sidereal year , during which the earth makes one revolution around the sun, measured between two successive conjunctions of a particular distant star: equal to 365.25636 days

  6. the period of time, the lunar year , containing 12 lunar months and equal to 354.3671 days

  7. the period of time taken by a specified planet to complete one revolution around the sun

    the Martian year

  8. (plural) age, esp old age

    a man of his years should be more careful

  9. (plural) time

    in years to come

  10. a group of pupils or students, who are taught or study together, divided into classes at school

    they are the best year we've ever had for history

  11. informalas long ago as can be remembered

  12. English law a period fixed by law to ensure the completion of a full year. It is applied for certain purposes, such as to determine the time within which wrecks must be claimed

  13. regularly or monotonously, over a long period

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage

In writing spans of years, it is important to choose a style that avoids ambiguity. The practice adopted in this dictionary is, in four-figure dates, to specify the last two digits of the second date if it falls within the same century as the first: 1801–08; 1850–51; 1899–1901 . In writing three-figure bc dates, it is advisable to give both dates in full: 159–156 bc , not 159–56 bc unless of course the span referred to consists of 103 years rather than three years. It is also advisable to specify bc or ad in years under 1000 unless the context makes this self-evident
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Other Word Forms

  • multiyear adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of year1

First recorded before 900; Middle English yeer, Old English ŧ; cognate with Dutch jaar, German Jahr, Old Norse , Gothic ŧ, Greek ôDz ′𲹰,” ṓr “season, part of a day, hour”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of year1

Old English gear; related to Gothic ŧ, Old Saxon, Old High German j, Old Norse year, Polish jar springtime, Latin ōԳܲ of this year
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. year in and year out, regularly through the years; continually: Also year in, year out.

    Year in and year out they went to Florida for the winter.

  2. a year and a day, a period specified as the limit of time in various legal matters, as in determining a right or a liability, to allow for a full year by any way of counting.

  3. from the year one, for a very long time; as long as anyone remembers.

    He's been with the company from the year one.

In addition to the idiom beginning with year, also see all year round; along in years; by the day (year); donkey's years.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"All of those military lessons we have learned, we have tried to make them routine in our civilian practices," explained trauma specialist Dr Justine Lee, who served in the Army for 18 years.

From

Rugby league legend Sir Billy Boston should have been knighted years ago when he could have still fully appreciated its significance, his son has said.

From

Meanwhile, the UK government said it was building a "clear evidence base to inform future action", with an updated animal welfare strategy due to be published later this year.

From

Last year's Father's Day photo was taken by Catherine.

From

His agency has been the core focus of the Israeli government's attempts to sever the relationship between the UN and Gaza's population, and it was this year banned from operating in Israel.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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