Gregorian calendar

noun

: a calendar in general use introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a revision of the Julian calendar, adopted in Great Britain and the American colonies in 1752, marked by the suppression of 10 days or after 1700 11 days, and having leap years in every year divisible by four with the restriction that centesimal years are leap years only when divisible by 400 see Months of the Principal Calendars Table

Examples of Gregorian calendar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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When can Easter occur? The U.S. and most of the world use the Gregorian calendar, which can place the date of Easter anywhere between March 22 and April 25. Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 That year, France changed its calendar system from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 The dates differ because most Christians use the Gregorian calendar, originally introduced in 1582, while the Eastern Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, introduced in 45 BC. Chris Sims, IndyStar, 19 Apr. 2025 But unlike holidays fixed to the Gregorian calendar, its timing shifts each year, governed by the cycles of the moon, while the venue — the Great Mosque — sees some helpful astronomical alignments. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Gregorian calendar

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Gregorian calendar was circa 1771

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Cite this Entry

“Gregorian calendar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gregorian%20calendar. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

Gregorian calendar

noun
Gre·​go·​ri·​an calendar
gri-ˌgōr-ē-ən-,
-ˌgȯr-
: a calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and adopted in Great Britain and the American colonies in 1752 compare julian calendar

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