august

1 of 2

adjective

: marked by majestic dignity or grandeur
her august lineage
an august mansion
augustly adverb
augustness
ȯ-ˈgəs(t)-nəs How to pronounce august (audio)
ˈȯ-(ˌ)gəs(t)-
noun

August

2 of 2

noun

Au·​gust ˈȯ-gəst How to pronounce August (audio)
: the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of august in a Sentence

Adjective We visited their august mansion and expansive grounds. The family claims an august lineage. Noun We are taking our vacation in August. The last two Augusts have been very dry.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
And Julian would get his first publication in a journal from the Royal Society, one of the world’s most august scientific institutions. . Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2012 Rossi's background includes the hagiographic Page One: Inside The New York Times and the documentary's executive producers include CNN's Brian Stelter, its talking heads coming largely from the more august and austere hubs of the legacy media. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2020 In person, Barnett has rock-star charisma that belies her august pedigree and sets her apart from her besuited peers. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2020 At the moment, the Oscars reflect the Academy, but the Academy reflects nothing but its august name; plausible deniability and the shunning of responsibility are built into the current system. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2020 See all Example Sentences for august 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin augustus; akin to Latin augur

Noun

Middle English, from Old English, from Latin Augustus, from Augustus Caesar

First Known Use

Adjective

1581, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of august was before the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near august

Cite this Entry

“August.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/august. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

august

1 of 2 adjective
au·​gust ȯ-ˈgəst How to pronounce august (audio)
: being grand and noble : majestic
augustly adverb
augustness noun

August

2 of 2 noun
Au·​gust ˈȯ-gəst How to pronounce August (audio)
: the eighth month of the year
Etymology

Noun

Old English August "the eighth month," from Latin Augustus "August," from Augustus (Caesar)

Word Origin
The first calendar used by the ancient Romans began the year with March. The month that we now call August was then the sixth month of the year and was known by the name Sextilis, a Latin word meaning "sixth." When the emperor Augustus Caesar was in power, however, he wished to have a month named after himself. The Roman senate satisfied him by changing Sextilis to Augustus. The English word August comes from the Latin Augustus.

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