November

1 of 2

noun

No·​vem·​ber nō-ˈvem-bər How to pronounce November (audio)
nə-
: the 11th month of the Gregorian calendar

November

2 of 2

communications code word

a communications code word for the letter n

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English Novembre, from Anglo-French, from Latin November, ninth month of the early Roman calendar, from novem nine — more at nine

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Communications Code Word

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of November was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“November.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/November. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

November

noun
No·​vem·​ber
nō-ˈvem-bər
: the 11th month of the year
Etymology

Noun

Middle English Novembre "November (the 11th month)," from early French Novembre (same meaning), from Latin November "November (ninth month)," from novem "nine"

Word Origin
The first calendar used in ancient Rome began the year with the month of March. The ninth month of the year was called November, from the Latin word novem, meaning "nine." When the name was first borrowed into Middle English from early French, it was spelled Novembre. But in time the original Latin spelling became the one used in English.

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