Jump To:

• new year
  new year

  noun

  the year approaching or newly begun.
• New Year
  New Year

  noun

  the first day or days of the year in various calendars, usually celebrated as a holiday

new year

American  

noun

1. the year approaching or newly begun.

2. New Year's Day.

3. (initial capital letters) the first day or few days of a year in any of various calendars.

---

New Year British  

noun

1. the first day or days of the year in various calendars, usually celebrated as a holiday

---

Etymology

Origin of new year

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

new year New Year

UniSC Associate Professor of Physiology and study co-author Mia Schaumberg said the research arrives at a useful time, as many people focus on health and fitness goals at the start of a new year.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026

Some of Porter’s friends have suggested he was shooting the weapon into the air to celebrate the new year.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

The metal containers carried the inscription "South Africa 1900" and, in a copy of the Queen's handwriting, "I wish you a happy new year".

From BBC ● May 12, 2026

Sales at U.S. retailers bounced back in February after a brief weak spell, suggesting the economy is still expanding at decent speed despite a turbulent start to the new year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

I tell her Tet is coming and luck starts over every new year.

From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

In fact, stir-fried lettuce is a beloved dish in Chinese culture, often eaten for good luck during Lunar New Year.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

The station also serves as a broadcast partner to the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade, the city’s Pride parade, the Oakland Black Joy parade and the Bay to Breakers race.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Cabinet Office figures for the New Year Honours 2026 show that for higher awards that has now risen to 31%, a record level.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

To determine what happens to these chemicals during fireworks displays, researchers measured amines in both gases and airborne particles during Lunar New Year celebrations in a suburban area of China.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 4, 2026

And that was after we showed them the gates and pushed them out: before the year’s end, that was; and the fight was early in the New Year, after the heavy snow we had.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien