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

They’re protected from sharks by all the kelp growth in that spot, explained a volunteer docent who also shared that the beach’s live cam gets rather steamy in January. — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

The Ostrich Army, though, dismissed the courts as corrupt and, beginning in late January 2025, started to flood CFIA offices with hateful messages and threats. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

The City of Doral approved the agreement last year and signed it in January. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

In January 2026, the company launched a full-scale, at-depth commercialization pilot in Cameron, Texas, aimed at demonstrating its deep-borehole disposal system. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 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.