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
Recent Examples on the Web
Starting in January 2023, meanwhile, the U.S. Copyright Office began a year-long study on copyright and AI.
—
Paul Sweeting, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
In January, immigration was the top problem cited by American voters in a Gallup poll.
—USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Mayor Brigette Peterson suspended her reelection campaign in January following mounting criticism of her leadership through the Gilbert Goons scandal.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
Devin Rossman, who from late January until his arrest April 3 was listed as a fugitive for failing to appear at a hearing on the violations, was sentenced by Judge Beryl A. Howell on Tuesday to five months’ incarceration.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
Upon retiring from the Senate in January 2005, Graham had served 38 consecutive years in public office.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
But Ruto’s new prominence on the international stage comes amid significant challenges in Kenya, including last summer’s protests against the rising cost of living and a gas-tax increase Ruto spearheaded, as well as this January’s demonstrations against allegations of judicial interference.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Will Hodges and Chase Daoud, who opened The Well Covington in January 2023, will open their second bar and restaurant, The Park, in the former BurgerFi space at 161 E. Freedom Way.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024
In January 2023, U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly ruled in favor of the NAR.
—Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Paul Sweeting, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
In January, immigration was the top problem cited by American voters in a Gallup poll.
—USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Mayor Brigette Peterson suspended her reelection campaign in January following mounting criticism of her leadership through the Gilbert Goons scandal.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
Devin Rossman, who from late January until his arrest April 3 was listed as a fugitive for failing to appear at a hearing on the violations, was sentenced by Judge Beryl A. Howell on Tuesday to five months’ incarceration.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
Upon retiring from the Senate in January 2005, Graham had served 38 consecutive years in public office.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
But Ruto’s new prominence on the international stage comes amid significant challenges in Kenya, including last summer’s protests against the rising cost of living and a gas-tax increase Ruto spearheaded, as well as this January’s demonstrations against allegations of judicial interference.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Will Hodges and Chase Daoud, who opened The Well Covington in January 2023, will open their second bar and restaurant, The Park, in the former BurgerFi space at 161 E. Freedom Way.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024
In January 2023, U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly ruled in favor of the NAR.
—Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'January.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near January
Cite this Entry
“January.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/January. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share