From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishyearyear /jɪə, jɜː $ jɪr/ ●●● S1 W1 noun [countable] 1 12 monthsTMC a period of about 365 days or 12 months, measured from any particular time I arrived here two years ago. We’ve known each other for over a year. It’s almost a year since Sue died. Jodi is 15 years old. a three-year business plan a four-year-old childbe 12/21 etc years of age (=be 12/21 etc years old) → financial year, fiscal year, light year, tax year2 january to december (also calendar year)TMC a period of 365 or 366 days divided into 12 months beginning on January 1st and ending on December 31st the year that Kennedy died in the year 1785this/last/next year They moved here at the beginning of this year. last year’s cup final She goes there every year. The museum attracts 100,000 visitors a year. in the early years of the last century → leap year, New Year3 → years4 → all (the) year round5 → year by year6 → year after year/year in, year out7 → years8 → the school/academic year9 school/university level especially British English a particular level that a student stays at for one year a group of year seven studentsin a year He was in my year at school.10 → first/second etc year11 → musician/player/car etc of the year12 → year on year13 → never/not in a million years14 → the year dot15 → put years on somebody/take years off somebody → donkey’s years at donkey(2)GRAMMAR: Patterns with yearlast year/this year etcDon’t use in with these words:• You say last year: They got married last year. ✗Don’t say: They got married in last year.• You say this year: I will turn 16 this year. ✗Don’t say: I will turn 16 in this year.• You say next year: She’s going on a trip to England next year. ✗Don’t say: She’s going on a trip to England in next year.• You say that year: We had a lot of rain that year. ✗Don’t say: We had a lot of rain in that year.a year• You use a year when saying how many times in a year something happens: I only see my sister about twice a year. ✗Don’t say: I only see my sister about twice in a year.in the year ...• You use in the year when saying the year when something happens: In the year 2050 sea levels could be much higher.The record was a hit in the year that I was born.all year• You use all year when talking about something that happens during every part of a year: There is enough snow here to ski all year. ✗Don’t say: There is enough snow here to ski all the year.COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a period of 365 or 366 days divided into 12 months beginning on January 1st and ending on December 31stadjectivesthis yearShe will be eight this year.next yearI might go to law school next year.last yearLast year we spent a lot on the house.every yearThey go back to the same resort every year.the current yearThe budget for the current year was £13 million.the coming year (=the year that is about to start)Here are some events to look out for in the coming year.the past yearOver the past year everyone has worked extremely hard.the previous yearThey had married the previous year.the following yearThe following year he was made captain of the team.the new year (=used to talk about the beginning of the next year)The report is due at the beginning of the new year.phrasesthe beginning/start of the yearThey moved here at the beginning of last year.the end of the yearWork should finish around the end of the year. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 7: ADJECTIVES/NOUN + yearsearly yearsLittle is known about his early years.He remembers the early years of television.the last/latter/closing years of somethingHe changed his opinion during the last years of his life.somebody’s childhood/teenage yearsthe home in which she spent her childhood yearsthe war yearsShe worked for the BBC during the war years.the boom years (=when an economy or industry is very successful)In the boom years, things weren’t too bad.somebody’s retirement yearsHe enjoyed his retirement years in Wales.the Bush/Blair etc years (=when Bush, Blair etc was leader)The rich did very nicely during the Thatcher years.phrasesin recent yearsThe number of cases has risen dramatically in recent years.in later yearsIn later years he regretted their argument.in years gone by (=in the past)The old fort defended the island in years gone by.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘in ancient years’ or ‘in the ancient years’. Say in ancient times or long ago.
Examples from the Corpus
year• Jared is 15 years old.• I hated teaching the fifth year. They were always causing trouble.• He works a lot harder than most of the students in his year.• There are 130 children in the second year.• Jackie has worked here for several years.• The lease expires at the end of the year.• the year 2002• I moved here two years ago.be 12/21 etc years of age• Almost every one of the 276 non-standard entrants in this sample were 21 years of age or over.in a year• Moran said the work will probably begin in a year.• We did better in the last few weeks with the new record than we did in a year with the last one.• It's the first time I've heard her laugh in years ... years and years.• The delays are always measured in years, and some plaintiffs die in the interim.• Minuses: A quietly emotive, unshowy performance in a year of attention-getting female roles.• I think that in years to come they are bound to be looked back on as an aberration.• It was the second big explosion there in a year.• I am sixteen and therefore in year eleven at high school.From Longman Business Dictionaryyearyear /jɪə, jɜːjɪr/ written abbreviation yr noun [countable]1 (also calendar year) the period of time beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31The Small Business Administration arranged 55,000 small business loans last year.2any period of time equal to about 12 monthsMy passport expires in a year. → financial year → fiscal year → tax yearOrigin year Old English gear 