February

American  

[feb-roo-er-ee, feb-yoo‑] / ˈfɛb ruˌɛr i, ˈfɛb ju‑ /

noun

• Februaries
  plural

1. the second month of the year, ordinarily containing 28 days, but containing 29 days in leap years. Feb.

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February British  

/ ˈfɛbrʊərɪ /

noun

1. the second month of the year, consisting of 28 or (in a leap year) 29 days

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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

• Februaries
  plural

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

See Examples For:

February Februaries

How much China cut oil imports from February to June following the start of the Iran war.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The weather service’s Climate Prediction Center said Thursday it expected much of California will probably have above-average precipitation during January, February and March.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

Fourteen of the former skippers had also supported an earlier appeal for "humane treatment and proper medical care" for Khan which was submitted in February.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

About 250 people slept outside the Charlotte, North Carolina, store the night before it opened in February, when the temperature hit a low of 25 degrees.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

In February of 1851, Leah, Maggie, and Calvin left Rochester and arrived in Buffalo, New York, as miles of thick ice crept over Lake Erie.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

But there is a weak correlation between warm Februaries, like we’ve seen this year, and early peak blooms.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 28, 2023

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

You can see by the accompanying historical rainfall chart for our Februaries that for a few years we get lulled into thinking it’s not so bad.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2017

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

I have seen Februaries in France which have been spring-like, with the chestnut trees in bud, and the primroses in flower, and lilacs in leaf.

From On the Edge of the War Zone From the Battle of the Marne to the Entrance of the Stars and Stripes by Mildred Aldrich