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

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tuesday’s death also marked at least the 46th person to die while in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail or RCCC since January 2021, according to data compiled by The Sacramento Bee. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026 The California Department of Public Health says from January to June, there have been 41 cases in the state, which is lower than the 80 cases over the same time period last year. — Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 14 July 2026 Working drawings were ready by January 1936 and the project began construction in April that year. — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026 In January, two people were shot and killed by federal officers within days of each other in Minnesota. — ABC News, 14 July 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

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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 15 Jul. 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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