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

In January 2025 alone, contracts on single-family homes priced at $5 million or above tripled compared to the previous year. —Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of a dozen eggs at the grocery store reached a record high of $4.95 in January 2025. —Michael Pappano, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2025

Thompson’s activity, which spanned from January through September 2023, was uncovered on Sept. 2, 2023, when a 14-year-old girl discovered his phone was secretly recording her during a flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Boston. —Charna Flam, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025

By late January, the club’s grasp on a playoff spot was tenuous and the team appeared to be spiralling. —Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for January

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

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.