February

noun

Feb·​ru·​ary ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē  ˈfe-brə- 

plural Februaries or Februarys

: the second month of the Gregorian calendar

How do you pronounce February?: Usage Guide

Dissimilation may occur when a word contains two identical or closely related sounds, resulting in the change or loss of one of them. This happens regularly in February, which is more often pronounced \ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē\ than \ˈfe-brə-ˌwer-ē\, though all of these variants are in frequent use and widely accepted. The \y\ heard from many speakers is not an intrusion but rather a common pronunciation of the vowel u after a consonant, as in January and annual.

Examples of February in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Read the full Capricorn Daily Horoscope Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Fun with friends and family? —USA TODAY, 4 May 2024

In late February, while Henry was in Nairobi to sign the the necessary accords for the deployment of the Kenya forces, armed gangs in Port-au-Prince united and launched a broad assault on key government institutions while demanding his ouster. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 May 2024

This February, the school board started the national search process over and approved a $16,900 contract with consulting company Finding Leaders to execute the search. —Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 4 May 2024

King Charles, 75, returned to public-facing duties on April 30 after taking a step back to receive treatment following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis in February. —Mallory Moench, TIME, 4 May 2024

His twin brother, TV producer Bruce Lansbury, died in February 2017 at age 87. —Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 May 2024

Due to the school debt, Burgess and his staff have been working without compensation since February. —Doc Louallen, ABC News, 4 May 2024

Illustration in the background: Preparatory model for the creation of Victoria Abril’s costume in Kika by Pedro Almodovar, February 9, 1993. —Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 4 May 2024

In February, Geely took automaker Lotus Technology Inc. public via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. —Michael Hytha, Fortune, 4 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Februarie, from Old English Februarius, from Latin, from Februa, plural, feast of purification

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

February

noun

Feb·​ru·​ary ˈfeb-(y)ə-ˌwer-ē  ˈfeb-rə- 

: the second month of the year

Etymology

Old English Februarius "February," from Latin Februarius "February," literally, "of Februa," from Februa "feast of cleansing"

Word Origin

Every winter the ancient Romans would celebrate a festival of spiritual cleansing. The name of the festival was Februa. Because of its importance the Romans named the month in which it fell Februarius, which means "of Februa." The English name February comes from the Latin Februarius.