February

American  

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

noun

plural

Februaries

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

---

February British  

/ ˈfɛbrʊərɪ /

noun

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

---

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.

Etymology

Origin of February

before 1000; Middle English; Old English Februarius < Latin Februārius (mēnsis) expiatory (month), derivative of februa (plural) expiatory offerings; -ary

Example Sentences

"We need a decisive victory. In February, we won 42.3 percent, and this time we want to exceed 50 percent," he said.

From Barron's

But that means the public might see higher inflation for December, January, February, March than what we were expecting before, Aleman adds.

From Barron's

A month after making his fifth Super Bowl appearance in February, Kelce confirmed he would continue.

From BBC

Mr Glynn, a former mine worker, was denied bail and will face court again on 3 February.

From BBC

However, other figures did provide some cause for thought, with a gauge of consumer spending falling for a fifth successive month to its lowest level since February 2021 owing to worries about jobs.

From Barron's