October

noun

Oc·​to·​ber äk-ˈtō-bər How to pronounce October (audio)
: the 10th month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of October in a Sentence

She started her job in early October. He started early in October. This will be our last October in New England. Sales are up for this October. The event happens every October.
Recent Examples on the Web In October, the City Council unanimously approved a $1 million plan to build a temporary fire station on the Public Services Division Operations Yard at 9534 Via Zapador. —Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024 The couple hosted a larger celebration for their friends in Venice last October, an event reported to be their official wedding ceremony attended by Delevingne, Evan Ross, Miles Teller, Nicholas Hoult and Julia Garner. —Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024 In October, Fernandez was identified as the NBA’s best assistant coach in an annual survey of the league’s top executives. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024 The Arizona Republic obtained her medical examiner report in October, which ruled Vega's death as a homicide caused by burns and from inhaling smoke. —The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024 Then in October, 2023, the city, again without community input, announced tentative plans to move two hundred migrants into the Amundsen Park field house, in the West Side neighborhood of Austin—which is predominantly Black. —Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024 One of the big reasons the U.S. stock market has screamed higher since late October is the expectation that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates several times this year. —Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024 The series parted ways with head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman last October while the production was shut down amid the SAG-AFTRA strike. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024 The outlook for sinking borrowing costs helped push stocks higher since their October 2023 low. —Will Daniel, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'October.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Octobre, from Old English & Anglo-French; Old English October, from Latin, 8th month of the early Roman calendar, from octo; Anglo-French, from Latin October

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of October was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing October

Dictionary Entries Near October

octobass

October

October surprise

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“October.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/October. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

October

noun
Oc·​to·​ber äk-ˈtō-bər How to pronounce October (audio)
: the tenth month of the year
Etymology

Middle English October, Octobre "the tenth month," from Old English October and early French octobre (both, same meaning), both from Latin October "the eighth month," from octo "eight"

Word Origin
According to its origin, the name October, which we know as the tenth month of the year, really means "eighth month." In the first calendar used in ancient Rome, the year had only ten months, starting in March and ending in December. The extra period between December and March was not considered part of the series of months. Later, when two extra months were added to the calendar, October became the tenth month but kept its old name. The Latin name came into Old English as october and into early French as octobre. It was spelled both ways in Middle English. But in time the influence of Latin fixed the spelling as october.

More from Merriam-Webster on October

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about October

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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