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

Related Stories 10 Books to Read Before Their 2025 Screen Adaptations Arrive Everything Coming to Hulu and Disney in February 2025 Coming out of the Season 1 finale, such an idea seemed all but inconceivable. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Jan. 2025

The event was due to be held at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades between February 13-16 but will now move to another venue. —Ben Church, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025

The Ultimate Guide to Super Bowl LIX Even in the aftermath of the New Year’s Eve attack on Bourbon Street, New Orleans is gearing up to host its eleventh Super Bowl on February 9. —Passport By Forbeslife, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025

The league will host a 1-on-1 tournament in February that will provide players with an additional opportunity to win $250,000. —Julia Poe, Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 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

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.