Gregorian calendar

American  

[gri-gawr-ee-uhn kal-uhn-der] / grɪˈgɔr i ən ˈkæl ən dər /

noun

1. the reformed Julian calendar now in use, according to which the ordinary year consists of 365 days, and a leap year of 366 days occurs in every year whose number is exactly divisible by 4 except centenary years whose numbers are not exactly divisible by 400, such as 1700, 1800, and 1900.

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Gregorian calendar British  

noun

1. the revision of the Julian calendar introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII and still in force, whereby the ordinary year is made to consist of 365 days and a leap year occurs in every year whose number is divisible by four, except those centenary years, such as 1900, whose numbers are not divisible by 400

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Etymology

Origin of Gregorian calendar

First recorded in 1640–50; named after Pope Gregory XIII; see -ian

Compare meaning

How does gregorian-calendar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Gregorian calendar vs. Julian calendar

Example Sentences

Attempts to bring everyone together meant that while many eastern European countries now use the Gregorian calendar for civil events, they use the Julian one to mark Orthodox festivals.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Foula - which is home to less than 40 people - never fully adopted the modern Gregorian calendar, preferring instead to follow some of the traditions of the Julian calendar.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2025

And while China uses the Gregorian calendar for official purposes, a traditional lunisolar calendar is still popular in everyday life.

From National Geographic • Feb. 26, 2024

The dates of the holiday are based on Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually coincides with November-December in the Gregorian calendar.

From Washington Times • Dec. 4, 2023

In Britain and the British Empire the Gregorian calendar, the calendar we use now, was introduced by law in 1752.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton