What is "per annum"

Per \Per\, prep. [L. Cf. Far, For-, Pardon, and cf. Par, prep.] Through; by means of; through the agency of; by; for; for each; as, per annum; per capita, by heads, or according to individuals; per curiam, by the court; per se, by itself, of itself. Per is also sometimes used with English words.

Per annum, by the year; in each successive year; annually.

Per cent, Per centum, by the hundred; in the hundred; -- used esp. of proportions of ingredients, rate or amount of interest, and the like; commonly used in the shortened form per cent.

Per diem, by the day. [For other phrases from the Latin, see Quotations, Phrases, etc., from Foreign Languages, in the Supplement.]

Latin, literally "by the year," from per (see per) + annum, accusative singular of annus "year" (see annual).

adv. 1 In a year 2 For a year

adv. by the year; every year (usually with reference to a sum of money paid or received); "he earned $100,000 per annum"; "we issue six volumes per annum" [syn: p.a., per year, each year, annually]