Annuity
/əˈnjuː.ɪ.ti/noun
A fixed sum of money paid to someone each year, typically for the rest of their life or for a set period.
Did you know?Its root comes from Latin annus, “year,” the same ancient time-word behind annual and anniversary, so the concept is basically a contract with time itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*at-
“A year or full cycle of time.”
Latin
Latin
annus
“A year.”
Late Latin
Latin
annuitas
“Yearly payment or yearly income.”
Old French
Old French
annuité
“A yearly payment or rent.”
Middle English
English
annuite
“A yearly payment or income.”
Modern English
English
annuity
“A fixed sum paid yearly, often as a financial contract.”
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