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

The nominees will also be up against former Congressman Greg Lopez, who left the Republican Party in January to run for governor as an unaffiliated candidate. — Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 1 July 2026

In January, a World Economic Forum report estimated that new technology, alongside other economic and demographic trends, will create 170 million roles and displace 92 million others by 2030. — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Just under 35,000 removal orders have been issued in California from January through May of this year, according to TRAC, a data gathering organization at Syracuse University. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

In January, the FBI flagged the group and sent some of the evidence, including over half a dozen videos, to local law enforcement, prosecutors said. — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 30 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.