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per year

per year

169 1.0
How often something happens in one year, often for an amount of money
  • adverb
translation icon : al año
  • The average American child sees 10,000 food advertisements per year on television.
  • percent per year
  • million per year
  • billion per year

It only happens once per year, and that time is right now.

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Examples

  • Currently, the PBGC charges a basic premium equal to $16 per year, per participant.

    Academic text (1990)
  • We work fewer hours per year than in most countries.

  • You deliver five books per year.

  • We're spending way more money per year than we bring in in taxes.

  • Not as ridiculous as the nine grand we spend per student per year.

  • Typically, the employer contribution is a stated dollar amount per year of service.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The Ukrainian economy showed its biggest growth during this time, reaching an impressive 12% per year.

  • I'm prepared to pay you 50K per year for the next four years.

  • The changes saved 1.9 million kWh per year in electrical consumption.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The average American child sees 10,000 food advertisements per year on television.

Synonyms

each year
vsper year
275 1.0

Happens once every year

is equivalent but used more fluidly within sentences or speech
annually
vsper year
125 2.2

Once every year

is commonly used too but often for monetary totals in speech
yearly
vsper year
75 1.0

Happening once every year

is the same idea but slightly more neutral and common in speech
per annum
vsper year
  • Formal
7 4.2

Each year, often used when talking about money amounts

is the neutral everyday way to say the same amount for twelve months
p.a.
vsper year
  • Formal
4.1

For each year, often to show how much money is paid or received

is the full, everyday expression rather than the short written form

Surface Forms

per year positive
per annum positive

Morphology

per + year

The meaning 'for each year; annually' is directly and predictably built from 'per' (indicating a rate or amount for each unit) + 'year' (the time unit), so a B1 learner who knows both words can compose the meaning. This rate-construction is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English usage (e.g. $50,000 per year), making it immediately transparent.

Etymology

Per year comes from the simple idea of 'for each' year: imagine a price written as $200 with the label per year, meaning you pay that amount every year. That's why it means 'annually'.