October

noun

Oc·​to·​ber äk-ˈtō-bər 

: the 10th month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of October in a Sentence

She started her job in early October.

He started early in October.

This will be our last October in New England.

Sales are up for this October.

The event happens every October.

Recent Examples on the Web

Surfing Techniques Regent Santa Monica Beach, California Located on the nation’s most celebrated beach, Regent Santa Monica Beach has recently unveiled its newest slate of programming for its first summer season since opening in October 2024. —Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

That takes place during the Major League Soccer season, which runs from February to October. —Steve Madeley, New York Times, 16 June 2025

His plea agreement comes after Mark Chavez, the other doctor charged in the case, pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine in October 2024. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 16 June 2025

His writings until then—including the automatic prose poem The Magnetic Fields, the essay collection The Lost Steps, and the Manifesto of Surrealism, which officially launched the movement in October 1924—were so many facets of an approach to living, one shared by Breton and his comrades in arms. —Mark Polizzoti june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Octobre, from Old English & Anglo-French; Old English October, from Latin, 8th month of the early Roman calendar, from octo; Anglo-French, from Latin October

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing October

• October surprise

Rhymes for October

• sober
• tober

Kids Definition

October

noun

Oc·​to·​ber äk-ˈtō-bər 

: the tenth month of the year

Etymology

Middle English October, Octobre "the tenth month," from Old English October and early French octobre (both, same meaning), both from Latin October "the eighth month," from octo "eight"

Word Origin

According to its origin, the name October, which we know as the tenth month of the year, really means "eighth month." In the first calendar used in ancient Rome, the year had only ten months, starting in March and ending in December. The extra period between December and March was not considered part of the series of months. Later, when two extra months were added to the calendar, October became the tenth month but kept its old name. The Latin name came into Old English as october and into early French as octobre. It was spelled both ways in Middle English. But in time the influence of Latin fixed the spelling as october.