calendar
KAL-uhn-duh
Calendar (noun) means a system for dividing time into days, months, and years. Example: “The calendar we use has twelve months and a leap year every four years.”
noun
1
A system for dividing time into days, months, and years.
"The calendar we use has twelve months and a leap year every four years."
"The Gregorian calendar is used in most of the world today."
"Some cultures still follow a lunar calendar for religious festivals."
2
A chart or app showing the days of a year, often with events or dates marked on it.
"I marked her birthday on the kitchen calendar in red pen."
"She pinned a calendar to the wall with all the school holidays marked."
"Check your calendar and see if you're free on Friday."
3
A schedule of planned events or appointments.
"Our calendar is completely full until the end of the month."
"The conference is the biggest event on our calendar this year."
"He keeps his work calendar packed with back-to-back meetings."
verb
1
To schedule or set a date for something, especially a court hearing.
"The court clerk calendared the trial for early spring after both lawyers agreed."
"Once the paperwork is filed, the registrar will calendar a date for the hearing."
"The judge calendared the hearing for the following month."
How to use calendar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tool or system for tracking days, dates, and scheduled events.
Common pairings
mark it on the calendar
calendar year
calendar of events
busy calendar
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like calendar.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- calendars
- Third person singular
- calendars
- Past tense
- calendared
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ we use has twelve months and a leap year every four years.
Etymology
From Old French calendier, from Latin calendarium ("account book"), from calendae, the first day of the Roman month when debts were due.
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “calendar” mean?
The word “calendar” means a system for dividing time into days, months, and years. In plain terms, a tool or system for tracking days, dates, and scheduled events.
How do you pronounce “calendar”?
“Calendar” is pronounced KAL-uhn-duh (/ˈkæl.ən.dɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “calendar” in a sentence?
Here is “calendar” used in a sentence: “The Gregorian calendar is used in most of the world today.”
What part of speech is “calendar”?
Depending on how it is used, “calendar” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “calendar” come from?
The word “calendar” comes from Latin. From Old French calendier, from Latin calendarium ("account book"), from calendae, the first day of the Roman month when debts were due.
Is “calendar” a common word?
“Calendar” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “calendar” have?
“Calendar” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a system for dividing time into days, months, and years.
What is the difference between a 'calendar' and a 'diary'?
A calendar shows the days, weeks, and months and is used mainly to see dates and mark events, while a diary or planner provides space to write detailed notes and appointments for each day. A calendar gives the overview; a diary records the detail.
What is the difference between a 'calendar' and an 'agenda'?
A calendar displays the days of a year with dates and events marked, whereas an agenda is a list of items to be discussed at a specific meeting. The calendar organizes time broadly; the agenda organizes a single event.
Is it spelled 'calendar' or 'calender'?
The word for tracking dates is spelled "calendar," ending in "-ar." "Calender" with an "-er" is a rare, unrelated word for a machine that presses paper or cloth, so for dates and schedules "calendar" is always correct.
What is the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars?
Both are systems for dividing time into days, months, and years, but the Gregorian calendar, now used worldwide, refines the leap-year rule to stay closely aligned with the solar year, while the older Julian calendar adds a leap day every four years without exception. This small difference caused the two systems to drift apart over centuries.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include calendar:
