Gregorian calendar

American  

[gri-gawr-ee-uhn kal-uhn-der] / grɪˈgɔr i ən ˈkæl ən dər /

noun

1. the reformed Julian calendar now in use, according to which the ordinary year consists of 365 days, and a leap year of 366 days occurs in every year whose number is exactly divisible by 4 except centenary years whose numbers are not exactly divisible by 400, such as 1700, 1800, and 1900.

---

Gregorian calendar British  

noun

1. the revision of the Julian calendar introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII and still in force, whereby the ordinary year is made to consist of 365 days and a leap year occurs in every year whose number is divisible by four, except those centenary years, such as 1900, whose numbers are not divisible by 400

---

Etymology

Origin of Gregorian calendar

First recorded in 1640–50; named after Pope Gregory XIII; see -ian

Compare meaning

How does gregorian-calendar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Gregorian calendar vs. Julian calendar

Example Sentences

Attempts to bring everyone together meant that while many eastern European countries now use the Gregorian calendar for civil events, they use the Julian one to mark Orthodox festivals.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Foula - which is home to less than 40 people - never fully adopted the modern Gregorian calendar, preferring instead to follow some of the traditions of the Julian calendar.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2025

That’s why most of the modern world has adopted the Gregorian calendar and its leap year system to allow days and months to stay in step with the seasons.

From National Geographic • Feb. 26, 2024

His Gregorian calendar took effect in the late 16th century.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2024

Caesar’s scheme, in turn, remained the standard in the Western world for some 1,600 years, forming the basis of the Gregorian calendar we use today.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro