January

noun

Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce January (audio)
-ˌwe-rē
plural Januaries or Januarys
: the first month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of January in a Sentence

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Spain is in for a treat as not one, not two — but three eclipses are expected to pass over the Iberian Peninsula between now and January 2028, including a second total eclipse next August. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 Last January, Badelle received an additional sentence of two years and eight months for manufacturing a deadly weapon by a prisoner, the CDCR said. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 There was some consternation when Brennan Johnson went to Crystal Palace in January for £35million, but this was precisely the sort of deal that Tottenham never used to do. — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Mueller was appointed and assumed office as police chief in Stillwater in January 2021. — Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for January

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of January was in the 14th century

Rhymes for January

See All Rhymes for January

Browse Nearby Words

janty
January
januis clausis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“January.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/January. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

January

noun
Jan·​u·​ary ˈjan-yə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce January (audio)
: 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.

More from Merriam-Webster on January

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about January

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