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
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After the company filed for bankruptcy in January 2025 – its second filing in 11 months – all of Joann's assets were won in a February 2025 auction by retail liquidator GA Group and Joann's term lenders.
—
Mike Snider, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
And because one mansion wasn’t quite enough, Bezos bought the house across the street in January 2020, paying $5 million for the 4,785-square-foot residence.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2025
The wide receiver was under investigation in Louisiana for a crash in December that left a 78-year-old man dead, officials said in January.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Cristian had been transferred into federal custody from a jail in Houston in January.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2025
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Mike Snider, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
And because one mansion wasn’t quite enough, Bezos bought the house across the street in January 2020, paying $5 million for the 4,785-square-foot residence.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2025
The wide receiver was under investigation in Louisiana for a crash in December that left a 78-year-old man dead, officials said in January.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Cristian had been transferred into federal custody from a jail in Houston in January.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for January
Cite this Entry
“January.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/January. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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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.
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