Word of the Day

: August 1, 2007

august

adjective aw-GUST

What It Means

: marked by majestic dignity or grandeur

august in Context

Mr. Lee's bearing was always august and stately, and he drew respectful glances wherever he went.

Did You Know?

"August" comes from the Latin word "augustus," meaning "consecrated" or "venerable," which in turn is related to the Latin "augur," meaning "consecrated by augury" or "auspicious." In 8 B.C. the Roman Senate honored Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, by changing the name of their month "Sextilis" to "Augustus." Middle English speakers inherited the name of the month of August, but it wasn't until the mid-1600s that "august" came to be used generically in English, more or less as "augustus" was in Latin, to refer to someone with imperial qualities.