February

noun

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
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.
Immigration detention data – which ICE must publish every two weeks under a congressional mandate – show a slight uptick in immigrants in custody in February compared to the prior two months. Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025 Read our recommendations from the week of February 14. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025 The research team published the new findings in the February 3 issue of the journal Antiquity. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025 The foundation for the 2025 NFL season is laid in February, March and April. Steve Silverman, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for February

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of February was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“February.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/February. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

February

noun
: 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.

More from Merriam-Webster on February

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