august
adjective
inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur; majestic.
august
1 American
[aw-guhst]
/ ɔˈgʌst /
August
2
American
[aw-guhst]
/ ˈɔ gəst /
august
1
British
/ ɔːˈɡʌst /
adjective
-
dignified or imposing
an august presence
-
of noble birth or high rank
an august lineage
August
2
British
/ ˈɔːɡəst /
noun
Usage
What is August? August is the eighth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. It has 31 days and is between July and September. In the Northern Hemisphere August is known as a middle month of the summer season. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is a middle month of the winter season. Among the holidays that happen in August are several independence days. August 1 is Benin’s and Switzterland’s, August 13 is the Central African Republic’s, and August 24 is Ukraine’s, to name just a few. As an adjective, august describes something or someone who is majestic or who inspires admiration, as in Playing the part of the queen, Pramila wore an august crown that could be seen from the back row. Example: I get the back-to-school blues as soon as August begins.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of august1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from French, Middle French auguste, from Latin augustus “sacred, grand,” akin to augēre “to increase” and augur 1 ( def. ); see also eke 1
Origin of August2
before 1100; Middle English < Latin Augustus (named after Augustus. ); replacing Old English Agustus < Latin, as above
Explanation
August is not just the eighth month of the year; it also describes something esteemed or regal. The 200-year-old newspaper covering the royal wedding might be called an august institution. The month August was named for Augustus Caesar who was an important and regal person. This is an easy way to remember the two meanings. Interestingly enough, linguists think that the word august did not descend from the same root as the month August. Find that hard to believe? August sources disagree. Oh, and don't forget to pronounce each word properly — the month has the accent on the first syllable, the adjective on the second.
Vocabulary lists containing august
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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An "August" Assortment: Words Worthy of Honor
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Mythology
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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:
Sanger’s renewed criticism helped push Wikipedia back into the spotlight this past week at a time when the nation’s most august institutions are under pressure for the messages they put into the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2025
Nevertheless, these claims have been a staple of news reporting for years, even by some of most august news organizations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2024
On 5 August, Peters took to X to announce the news: "I don't know how it gets better than this. See u at the eras tour on august 19th."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2024
Greenberger’s warning about this scenario had been endorsed by no less august a figure than former Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker.
From Salon ● May 28, 2024
British readers of The New Yorker who assume that this august publication is in constant ignorant error when it allows “1980’s” evidently have no experience of how that famously punctilious peri-odical operates editorially.
From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author
Ellison had his sights set on Warner long before he made his first bid last year, shortly after he secured control of Paramount in August 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Controllers began monitoring Juice particularly closely on August 17 and will continue that intensive tracking through October 10.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
Bluetongue was first detected on farms in south-west Scotland in August and there have now been more than 100 infected animals in 41 locations, including four outside the original restriction zone .
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
The strong August employment report had raised hopes that the labor market was on the upswing after two years of malaise.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
It was early on the morning of August 13 and Harry Seidel was sleeping—or trying to—in the East Berlin apartment he shared with his mother, wife, and baby son.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
