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

Woman still 'confused about why she was detained' Ortiz Soto, a Honduran, came to the United States in January 2019, her attorney said. —Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2025

In addition to the crackdown on immigrants, Trump issued an executive order in January restricting gender-affirming care in prisons that affects some immigration detention centers. —Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Since returning to the White House in January, President Trump has been on a mission to renovate — including an overhaul of the iconic Rose Garden, where work is nearly complete. —Tamara Keith, NPR, 23 Aug. 2025

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen looks on during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 06, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. —Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025

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

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

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.