February
Americannoun
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:
Middle Eastern naphtha shipments fell to 692,000 metric tons in March from 4.06 million tons in February amid regional trade disruptions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
In February 2025, Stenberg posted a since-deleted nine-minute TikTok addressing backlash that suggested colorism was at play when she landed the gig.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The combined air operation came as President Donald Trump met with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington for their first in-person talks since the Middle East war began in late February.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
On 9 February, his wife Kelly "dragged" him to see a GP, for the first time in about 12 years.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
On February 4, 1899, American soldiers opened fire on Filipinos in Manila, a city on the island of Luzon.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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
Los Angeles International Airport and Paso Robles Airport both received a trace of precipitation, tying with their driest Februaries on record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2020
We had better get used to more Februaries and Marches like we’ve experienced.
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 Aldrich, Mildred
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.
