February
Americannoun
-
Februaries
plural
noun
Pronunciation
Many people try to pronounce February with both sounds, as shown above. The common pronunciation , with the first replaced by , is the result of dissimilation, the tendency of like sounds to become unlike when they follow each other closely. An additional influence is analogy with January. Although sometimes criticized, this dissimilated pronunciation of February is used by educated speakers and is considered standard.
Usage
What does February mean? February is the second month of the calendar year. It follows January and is followed by March. It can be pronounced either FEB-roo-air-ee or FEB-yoo-air-ee. February is notable for being the shortest month of the year. It has 28 days, except during a leap year, when it has 29 due to the addition of a leap day. Every four years, a leap day is added to the end of February to adjust for the fact that the calendar is 365 days long but the Earth’s revolution around the sun actually takes 365 days and 6 hours. In the Northern Hemisphere, February is a winter month. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is a summer month. In the U. S. and some other countries, February is Black History Month. Several U. S. and international holidays also fall in February, including Groundhog Day on February 2, Valentine’s Day on February 14, and Presidents’ Day on the third Monday of February. The American football championship known as the Super Bowl is typically held in early February. Example: I was born on February 29, so I usually celebrate my birthday on February 28 on non-leap years.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of February
before 1000; Middle English; Old English Februarius < Latin Februārius (mēnsis) expiatory (month), derivative of februa (plural) expiatory offerings; see -ary
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.
See Examples For:
The 76-year-old was on Wednesday sentenced to six and a half years in prison, but will be eligible for release on parole in February 2031.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The hike was the first since February 2023 and analysts said the central bank will likely lift them again.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Brolins will likely be spending the majority of their time back on the West Coast, having snapped up this $7.1 million farmhouse in Santa Barbara, Calif., in February 2024.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
That’s the highest special-servicing rate since February 2013—and a sign that those loans were facing problems such as missed payments or difficulty refinancing at maturity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Five days later, on February 21, the market began to trade an index of CDOs called the TABX.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Santa Maria Airport, which did not see any rain last month, and San Luis Obispo Airport, which saw just a trace, had their driest Februaries on record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2020
Still, it’s hard for me to believe that Seattle would have had a parade for the Seahawks four Februaries ago if Schneider wasn’t around.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2018
To be fair—if you’re in the mood to be fair—this hasn’t been the most pleasant of Februaries for the Republican men and women of Congress.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 22, 2017
In more wintry Februaries, Westminster entrants sometimes go outside to make “a snowdog angel.”
From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2017
They had not the melting heat of the warm spells that sometimes come in our Februaries; but their suns were golden, and their skies unutterably blue, and their airs mild, yet fresh.
From Roman Holidays, and Others by William Dean Howells
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.
