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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The exact dates of Passover change every year because the Hebrew calendar is not the same as the Gregorian calendar most Americans use today. Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025 The Islamic calendar is entirely lunar-based, meaning Ramadan shifts earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 The West follows the Gregorian calendar, while the Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 Since the calendar is based on the moon's cycles, Ramadan's start date shifts earlier each year and does not align with the Gregorian calendar. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Gregorian calendar

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Gregorian calendar was circa 1771

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gregorian calendar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gregorian%20calendar. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on Gregorian calendar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!