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:
In February, when Russia opened a case against him, Durov described it as a pretext to restrict Russians’ privacy and free speech.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Relations between India and Bangladesh, strained under the interim administration that took power after Hasina's fall, have stabilised since Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office in February.
From Barron's ● 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
According to the Met Office, rainfall in England this month is at 4.4mm, one of the lowest levels on record - tied with June 1925 and behind only February 1891 when 3.3mm were recorded.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But as February became March, the nagging uncertainty Rachel had introduced into my relationship with Traveler persisted.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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
After one of the driest Februaries on record across much of California, the first day of March brought a dash of rain and a dusting of fresh powder to the parched landscape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2020
Still, it’s hard for me to believe that Seattle would have had a parade for the Seahawks four Februaries ago if Schneider wasn’t around.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2018
That wet and chilly February we endured was good news for the state’s snowpack: In previous years, warmer than usual Februaries have wreaked havoc with snowpack.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 21, 2017
They had not the melting heat of the warm spells that sometimes come in our Februaries; but their suns were golden, and their skies unutterably blue, and their airs mild, yet fresh.
From Roman Holidays, and Others by Howells, William Dean
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.
