august

1 of 2

adjective

au·​gust ȯ-ˈgəst  ˈȯ-(ˌ)gəst 

: marked by majestic dignity or grandeur

her august lineage

an august mansion

augustly adverb

augustness

ȯ-ˈgəs(t)-nəs 

ˈȯ-(ˌ)gəs(t)-

noun

augustness

2 of 2

noun

au·​gust·​ness (ˈ)ȯ-¦gəst-nəs sometimes ə-ˈgəst- or ˈȯ-gəst- 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being august

Did you know?

August comes from the Latin word augustus, meaning "consecrated" or "venerable," which in turn is related to the Latin augur, meaning "consecrated by augury" or "auspicious." In 8 B.C. the Roman Senate honored Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, by changing the name of their month "Sextilis" to "Augustus." Middle English speakers inherited the name of the month of August, but it wasn't until the mid-1600s that "august" came to be used generically in English, more or less as "augustus" was in Latin, to refer to someone with imperial qualities.

Synonyms of august

Adjective

• imposing
• solemn
• distinguished
• staid

Examples of august in a Sentence

Adjective

We visited their august mansion and expansive grounds.

The family claims an august lineage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

His tone is temperate, but the words echo through the State Capitol’s Assembly chamber, the august backdrop for his speech. —Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026

Those philosophers are better considered the forebears of the more august tradition of criticizing stuff without doing it first. —Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025

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

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin augustus; akin to Latin augur

First Known Use

Adjective

1581, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for august

• auguste

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Kids Definition

august

1 of 2 adjective

au·​gust ȯ-ˈgəst 

: being grand and noble : majestic

augustly adverb

augustness noun

August

2 of 2 noun

Au·​gust ˈȯ-gəst 

: 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.