January
JAN-yuu-uh-ree
January (noun) means the first month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, coming after December and before February. Example: “They got married on a cold morning in January.”
noun
1
The first month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, coming after December and before February.
"They got married on a cold morning in January."
"Gym memberships always spike in January."
How to use January
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe first month of the year.
Common pairings
early January
a January sale
the January blues
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Word forms
- Plural
- Januaries, Januarys
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Etymology
From Latin Ianuarius, "of Janus," the Roman god of doorways and beginnings — fittingly, the month that opens the year.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for January
See all rhymes for January →Frequently asked questions
What does “January” mean?
The word “January” means the first month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, coming after December and before February. In plain terms, the first month of the year.
How do you pronounce “January”?
“January” is pronounced JAN-yuu-uh-ree (/ˈd͡ʒæn.juˌɛɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “January” in a sentence?
Here is “January” used in a sentence: “They got married on a cold morning in January.”
What part of speech is “January”?
“January” is a noun.
Where does the word “January” come from?
The word “January” comes from Latin. From Latin Ianuarius, "of Janus," the Roman god of doorways and beginnings — fittingly, the month that opens the year.
Is “January” a common word?
“January” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
Why is January named January?
January takes its name from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, doorways and transitions. Janus was usually shown with two faces, one looking back to the past and one forward to the future. That made him a fitting symbol for the month that closes the old year and opens the new one.
How many days does January have?
January has 31 days, making it one of the seven longer months in the year. Its length never changes, since, unlike February, it is never affected by leap years. The month sits at the heart of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and high summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
What season is January in?
That depends on where you are. In the Northern Hemisphere, January falls in the depths of winter and is often the coldest month of the year. South of the equator, in places like Australia and South America, it lands in the middle of summer and brings some of the warmest weather instead.
Should January always be capitalized?
Yes. Like all month names in English, January is a proper noun and takes a capital J wherever it appears in a sentence, not just at the start. The same rule applies to the days of the week. Only general time words such as winter or spring stay lower case.
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