leap year

noun

1
: a year in the Gregorian calendar containing 366 days with February 29 as the extra day
2
: an intercalary year in any calendar

Examples of leap year 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.
And it is based on a solar cycle consisting of 365 days (or 366 in a leap year). Forrest Brown, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025 And operating income for this year has been set initially for a 5 to 7 percent rise, factoring out the impact of the leap year and the Vizio television acquisition that’s expected to boost the company’s advertising business. Evan Clark, WWD, 27 Feb. 2025 Ah, 1976 – the leap year that saw the U.S. Bicentennial, the birth of Apple Computer and the first successful Mars landing. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025 The leap year’s absence continued throughout the 1980s with the first openworked Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref 25636, as well as ref 25686 which as released later towards the end of the 1980s. Thomas Wojtowicz, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leap year

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Cite this Entry

“Leap year.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leap%20year. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

leap year

noun
: a year in the Gregorian calendar containing 366 days with February 29 as the extra day

More from Merriam-Webster on leap year

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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