January

noun

Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē 

-ˌwe-rē

plural Januaries or Januarys

: the first month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of January in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Robinson, a rim-protecting dominant rebounder, is expected to return in January. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024

There are four different start dates—January 1, February 1, March 1, or April 1, 2025. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

The game skyrocketed from just 91 players in November 2021 to more than 2 million by January 2022. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024

Her family declared bankruptcy in January and downsized from two cars to one. —Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

January

noun

Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē 

: 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.