February
Americannoun
-
Februaries
plural
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:
Fuel Finder was launched in February by former chancellor Rachel Reeves, who said at the time it could save households £40 per year.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Launched in February, the feature has already been used by more than one million people, according to Spotify which in June 2022 identified audiobooks as a major growth area.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Brolins will likely be spending the majority of their time back on the West Coast, having snapped up this $7.1 million farmhouse in Santa Barbara, Calif., in February 2024.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
That’s the highest special-servicing rate since February 2013—and a sign that those loans were facing problems such as missed payments or difficulty refinancing at maturity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
In February 1790, the entire household moved to a larger, more fashionable mansion on Broadway near Wall Street.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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
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
In more wintry Februaries, Westminster entrants sometimes go outside to make “a snowdog angel.”
From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 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
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.
