January

noun

Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce January (audio)
-ˌwe-rē
plural Januaries or Januarys
: the first month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of January in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web President Joe Biden’s campaign raised $21.3 million in February and spent $6.3 million, increasing its cash from $56 million at the end of January to $71 million at the end of February. Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 At the Schiaparelli spring/summer 2024 show in January, J Lo made a dramatic entrance to the show with a wet-look finish and kicked ends, and Ayo Edibiri also looked beautiful wearing the trend at the Emmy Awards. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2024 Cornerstone Cottage voluntarily shut down in January amid a new complaint investigation, but the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has declined to release the nature of the complaint. Wilson Criscione, Idaho Statesman, 24 Mar. 2024 This January, Chollas Creek overflowed during a fierce storm, endangering thousands of residents and causing widespread damage that has yet to be fully repaired. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024 In January 2004, a 30-year-old woman was attacked in Whiting Ranch Regional Park in Orange County. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 24 Mar. 2024 The last time the Powerball jackpot was won was in January, when a ticket in Michigan scored a prize worth $842.4 million. Sara Smart, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024 The production was originally meant to end in January 2024, at the end of their run, according to a spokesperson for the production, but was extended with the casting of Tveit and Foster. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The Full House star, who died in January 2022 at age 65 from head trauma, was previously married to screenwriter Sherri Kramer. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'January.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Januarie, from Latin Januarius, 1st month of the ancient Roman year, from Janus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of January was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near January

Cite this Entry

“January.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/January. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

January

noun
Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce January (audio)
: the first month of the year
Etymology

from Latin Januarius "first month of the year," from Janus, a Roman god

Word Origin
Among the many gods worshipped by the ancient Romans was one named Janus. He was believed to have two faces, one looking forward and one looking back. Janus was associated with doors, gates, and all beginnings. Because of that, when the Romans changed their calendar and added two months to the beginning of the year, they named the first one Januarius to honor Janus. The English January comes from Latin Januarius.

More from Merriam-Webster on January

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