January

noun

Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē 

-ˌwe-rē

plural Januaries or Januarys

: the first month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of January in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ordinary Russian households face food prices that are up more than 18% compared to January 2024, sky-high utility bills, and a recent two-percentage-point hike in sales tax. —Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 14 June 2026

He’s expected to start his new role in January. —Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026

December 22 – January 19 When values meet courage, decisions clarify. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026

Death records were then checked through January 2020, according to a press release. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026

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

Rhymes for January

• askari
• astbury
• azeri
• banbury
• barberry
• blackberry
• blueberry
• canary
• cranberry
• dentary
• dewberry
• dogberry

Kids Definition

January

noun

Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē 

: 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.