December
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What is December? December is the twelfth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. It has 31 days and is between November and January. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter begins in December, while in the Southern Hemisphere, summer begins. A solstice happens in December, often marked on December 21, although the actual day may be December 20, 21, or 22. A solstice is when the sun is the farthest from the Earth’s celestial equator. The Southern Hemisphere experiences its summer solstice, with the sun reaching the southernmost point on the celestial sphere. Naturally, the Northern Hemisphere experiences its winter solstice. Many holidays are celebrated in December, including the Budhhist Bodhi Day, the Jewish Hanukkah (though it can start in November), the Christian Christmas, and the African American Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, while Bodhi Day, Hanukkah, and Christmas are religious holidays, though many people celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas as cultural holidays. Example: December is my favorite month because I can finally take some time off work and be with my family.
Etymology
Origin of December
before 1000; Middle English decembre < Old French < Latin december (stem decembr- ) the tenth month of the early Roman year, apparently < *dec ( em ) -membri-, equivalent to decem ten + *-membri- < mens- month + -ri- suffix (with -sr- > -br- and assimilation of nasal)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Australia in December banned under 16s from the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, in a crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms".
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
Fed-funds futures currently imply roughly 1½ rate hikes by year-end, with the expected policy rate rising to around 4% by December.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026
The case is due back in court in August, with a hearing set for December.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
They both moved to Anthropic in late 2024 and left in December 2025, shortly after the launch of the Claude Opus 4.5 model, which dramatically expanded the capabilities of so-called agents to perform complex tasks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
Speaking of the Zooms, Rabbi Gold has explained all the parts of the service to me so I’ll know what to expect on December 4.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
