January

noun

Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce January (audio)
-ˌwe-rē
plural Januaries or Januarys
: the first month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of January in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The production was originally meant to end in January 2024, at the end of their run, according to a spokesperson for the production, but was extended with the casting of Tveit and Foster. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The Full House star, who died in January 2022 at age 65 from head trauma, was previously married to screenwriter Sherri Kramer. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 In January, the emergency exit door blew off a new Boeing 737 Max jet while in flight. Chris Morris, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 The company, which raised €145 million ($158 million) from investors in January, has launched heat pump installation services in Germany, Italy and the UK, and now plans to offer its own heat pump in those countries. Olivia Rudgard, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024 Monkey Island also made the news in January 2017, when police rescued a juvenile who was stranded on the island after walking to it over the frozen lake. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024 The group starts preparing in early January by promoting the program through digital advertising, buying candy, filling the eggs, mapping out routes and setting up the eggs in clients' yards. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 The story began decades ago Dec. 7, 2023 In January, protesters from Writers Against the War on Gaza disrupted a PEN America event in Los Angeles featuring actor Mayim Bialik, who supports Israel and opposes a cease-fire. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The couple got engaged in a traditional ceremony at Anant's Mumbai residence in January 2023. USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'January.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Januarie, from Latin Januarius, 1st month of the ancient Roman year, from Janus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of January was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near January

Cite this Entry

“January.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/January. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

January

noun
Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce January (audio)
: the first month of the year
Etymology

from Latin Januarius "first month of the year," from Janus, a Roman god

Word Origin
Among the many gods worshipped by the ancient Romans was one named Janus. He was believed to have two faces, one looking forward and one looking back. Janus was associated with doors, gates, and all beginnings. Because of that, when the Romans changed their calendar and added two months to the beginning of the year, they named the first one Januarius to honor Janus. The English January comes from Latin Januarius.

More from Merriam-Webster on January

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