dignified or imposing
an august presence
of noble birth or high rank
an august lineage
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.
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
before 1100; Middle English < Latin Augustus (named after Augustus. ); replacing Old English Agustus < Latin, as above
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
AUGUST: Cosby hires new lawyers, including Tom Mesereau, the high-profile attorney who won an acquittal in Michael Jackson’s child molestation case.
From Washington Times • Apr. 8, 2018
AUGUST, page 143: Name of the chief clown in the Berlin Circus.
From Dame Care by Overbeck, Bertha
MENCKEN, AUGUST, co-executor of the Estate of H. L. Mencken.
From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1963 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office
And THIRDLY, That, postponing the Catastrophe, and recommending the above two dates, 15th JULY, 15th AUGUST, to careful readers, we must hasten to Colberg for the present.
From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20 by Carlyle, Thomas
When you were a schoolboy, longing for the holidays, have you not chalked upon doors the legend—OH FOR AUGUST!
From The Recreations of a Country Parson by Boyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
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.
