December

noun

De·​cem·​ber di-ˈsem-bər 

dē-

: the 12th month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of December in a Sentence

Her birthday is in late December.

This December was not as cold as the past few Decembers have been.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fed officials in their latest economic projections from December estimated just one rate cut for 2026, but investors widely expect Warsh to push for more if he’s confirmed by the Senate to succeed Chair Jerome Powell in May when his term at the helm of the central bank ends. —Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026

The hotel hosts kid-friendly events, and the magnificent Christmas tree has become a photo op for guests of all ages during December. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2026

The Echinus Geyser, situated in the Norris Geyser Basin, last erupted in December 2020. —Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026

Holt — a former USL league president who helped Sacramento join as an expansion team in 2014 — is replacing Todd Dunivant, who was hired to be the sporting director for Major League Soccer club New York City FC in December. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Decembre, from Old English or Anglo-French, both from Latin December (tenth month), from decem ten — more at ten

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for December

• dismember
• nonmember
• november
• remember
• september
• ember
• member

Kids Definition

December

noun

De·​cem·​ber di-ˈsem-bər 

: the twelfth month of the year

Etymology

Middle English Decembre, December "last month of the year," from early French decembre (same meaning), from Latin December, literally, "tenth month," from decem "ten" — related to decimal, dime

Word Origin

In the first calendar used by the ancient Romans, the year began with the month of March. The Romans called the tenth month of the year December, using the Latin word decem, meaning "ten." When the word was borrowed into early French, it became decembre. That was also how it was first spelled when it came into Middle English. In time, however, the English word was changed to match the original Latin in spelling and in having a capital letter.