February

noun

Feb·​ru·​ary ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē  ˈfe-brə- 

plural Februaries or Februarys

: the second month of the Gregorian calendar

How do you pronounce February?: Usage Guide

Dissimilation may occur when a word contains two identical or closely related sounds, resulting in the change or loss of one of them. This happens regularly in February, which is more often pronounced \ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē\ than \ˈfe-brə-ˌwer-ē\, though all of these variants are in frequent use and widely accepted. The \y\ heard from many speakers is not an intrusion but rather a common pronunciation of the vowel u after a consonant, as in January and annual.

Examples of February in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That first visit was during Carnival in February of 2023, and by the end of November that same year, the Zuerchers were on a plane bound for their new home with just six suitcases, a hatbox and a dog. —Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 29 May 2025

According to a February, 2025 program report, students who participated in the program have a higher rate of enrolling in a Minnesota college as well as a higher rate of completing the FAFSA, a key indicator for whether a student will begin a college education. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

Angel Studios has set a February 6 wide theatrical release for Solo Mio directed by Chuck Kinnane and Dan Kinnane (Home Team) and produced by Mark Fasano and Jeffrey Greenstein. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 29 May 2025

Jacinto’s talent was clear for all to see during the reverse fixture in February. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 29 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Februarie, from Old English Februarius, from Latin, from Februa, plural, feast of purification

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for February

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

February

noun

Feb·​ru·​ary ˈfeb-(y)ə-ˌwer-ē  ˈfeb-rə- 

: the second month of the year

Etymology

Old English Februarius "February," from Latin Februarius "February," literally, "of Februa," from Februa "feast of cleansing"

Word Origin

Every winter the ancient Romans would celebrate a festival of spiritual cleansing. The name of the festival was Februa. Because of its importance the Romans named the month in which it fell Februarius, which means "of Februa." The English name February comes from the Latin Februarius.