Gregorian calendar

noun

: a calendar in general use introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a revision of the Julian calendar, adopted in Great Britain and the American colonies in 1752, marked by the suppression of 10 days or after 1700 11 days, and having leap years in every year divisible by four with the restriction that centesimal years are leap years only when divisible by 400 see Months of the Principal Calendars Table

Examples of Gregorian calendar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Eastern, or Orthodox, Christians, use a Julian calendar, while Western Christians, made up primarily of Roman Catholics and Protestants, use a Gregorian calendar (the calendar used in most parts of the world) to calculate their dates. —Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2026

Another origin story says the date arose in 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, leaving behind the Julian calendar that had been used since the era of Julius Caesar. —Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026

The dates differ because most Christians use the Gregorian calendar, originally introduced in 1582, while the Eastern Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, introduced in 45 BC. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Mar. 2026

When can Easter occur? The U.S. and most of the world use the Gregorian calendar, which can place the date of Easter anywhere between March 22 and April 25. —Carlie Procell, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1771, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Gregorian calendar

• calender
• kalendar

Kids Definition

Gregorian calendar

noun

Gre·​go·​ri·​an calendar

gri-ˌgōr-ē-ən-, 

-ˌgȯr-

: a calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and adopted in Great Britain and the American colonies in 1752 compare julian calendar