1 year | Definition of year

year

noun
\ ˈyir How to pronounce year (audio) \

Definition of year

1a : the period of about 3651/4 solar days required for one revolution of the earth around the sun
b : the time required for the apparent sun to return to an arbitrary fixed or moving reference point in the sky
c : the time in which a planet completes a revolution about the sun two Mercury years
2a : a cycle in the Gregorian calendar of 365 or 366 days divided into 12 months beginning with January and ending with December
b : a period of time equal to one year of the Gregorian calendar but beginning at a different time
3 : a calendar year specified usually by a number died in the year 1900
4 years plural : a time or era having a special significance their glory years
5a : 12 months that constitute a measure of age or duration her 21st year often used in combination a year-old child
b years plural : age wise beyond her years also : the final stage of the normal life span
6 : a period of time (such as the usually 9-month period in which a school is in session) other than a calendar year

Examples of year in a Sentence

I haven't seen her in a year. He quit smoking six years ago. The job pays $45,000 a year. She renews her lease every year. We see them once or twice a year. It feels like we've been standing in line for a year. That team hasn't won in years. It's been years since I've been on an airplane. The work should be done by the end of the year. She was born in the year 1967.
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Recent Examples on the Web

Under federal law, a captain or crew member can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if misconduct, negligence or inattention to duty leads to a death. Brian Melley, Anchorage Daily News, "Probe to find cause of boat fire could lead to criminal case," 5 Sep. 2019 Already the founder and lead designer of the fitness brand CALIA, Underwood will teach readers her approach to working out, eating healthy, and feeling beautiful all year round. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE.com, "Carrie Underwood Is Writing a Fitness Book & Will Share How She Navigated the 'Pressure to Look Perfect'," 4 Sep. 2019 Is the American public willing to commit itself to years-long reconstruction efforts? Daniel Bessner, The New Republic, "The Fog of Intervention," 4 Sep. 2019 Dotson also faces a maximum sentence of more than 12 years in prison. Cory Shaffer, cleveland.com, "Strongsville woman found guilty of looting ailing Korean War vet’s bank account through phony marriage promise," 3 Sep. 2019 The money laundering charge disqualifies him for bail, and assisting a criminal racket could carry a jail sentence of up to 15 years. Wired, "One Free Press Coalition Spotlights Journalists Under Attack," 3 Sep. 2019 The prince spent more than two years working on the ambitious project with partners Booking.com, SkyScanner, CTrip, TripAdvisor, and Visa. Omid Scobie, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince Harry Launches New Travel Program to Encourage Eco-Friendly Tourism," 3 Sep. 2019 In 2009, Li and her team of four other researchers at Princeton made the data set public, and the following year teams from around the world started racing to build the best algorithm that could make sense of all those images. The Atlantic, "Coming Soon to a Battlefield: Robots That Can Kill," 3 Sep. 2019 If these authors hadn’t done this study, someone else would have soon enough, and the studies coming out 20 years from now will be even more extensive and precise, identifying far more of the specific genes at work. Robert Verbruggen, National Review, "Death of the ‘Gay Gene’," 3 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'year.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of year

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for year

Middle English yere, from Old English gēar; akin to Old High German jār year, Greek hōros year, hōra season, hour

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More Definitions for year

year

noun

Financial Definition of year

What It Is

In the business world, a year is a 12-month period, four-quarter period, or 13-period stretch of time. It is not always 365 days long, though it is usually very close to that. In business, note that a fiscal year does not always go from January 1 to December 31; many companies have fiscal years beginning at other times.

How It Works

Years are important because they create time frames for comparing information. For example, let's assume Company XYZ's fiscal year began on January 1 and that today is March 31. During this time, Company XYZ recorded the following:

By comparing the 2012 revenues with the 2011 revenues, we can calculate that Company XYZ was up 50% year over year.

Why It Matters

Yearly information is useful in looking for trends or measuring performance against goals. Remember, though that comparing year-over-year information among companies with different fiscal-year start dates can distort an analysis: The time included may vary and seasonal factors may become skewed. It is also important to remember that the extra day in leap years may also distort comparisons.

Source: Investing Answers

year

noun

English Language Learners Definition of year

: a unit of time that is equal to 12 months or 365 or sometimes 366 days
: the regular period of 12 months that begins in January and ends in December
used to refer to the age of a person

year

noun
\ ˈyir How to pronounce year (audio) \

Kids Definition of year

1 : the period of about 365¹/₄ days required for the earth to make one complete trip around the sun
2 : a period of 365 days or in leap year 366 days beginning January 1
3 : a fixed period of time the school year
4 : the age of a person a six-year old
5 : a long time We've been standing in line for a year.

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More from Merriam-Webster on year

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with year

Spanish Central: Translation of year

Nglish: Translation of year for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of year for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about year