January

[jan-yoo-er-ee]

noun

plural

Januaries 

1. the first month of the year, containing 31 days. Jan.

January

/ ˈdʒænjʊərɪ /

noun

1. the first month of the year, consisting of 31 days

Word History and Origins

Origin of January¹

before 1000; Middle English < Latin, noun use of Jānuārius, equivalent to Jānu ( s ) Janus + -ārius -ary; replacing Middle English Genever, Jeniver < Anglo-French, Old French Genever, Jenever < Latin, as above; replacing Old English Januarius < Latin

Word History and Origins

Origin of January¹

C14: from Latin Jānuārius, from adj: (month) of _Janus ¹

Example Sentences

The airline that has offered open seating for more than 50 years is switching to assigned seating in January, including its first premium seats.

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Iran helped Moscow establish the facility, which has enabled Russia to increase its nightly strikes in Ukraine from 83 drones in January 2025 to 187 in September.

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Tesla officially appealed the ruling to the Delaware Supreme Court in January.

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These include British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman, who were detained in January while travelling through Iran on a motorcycling world tour and later charged with espionage.

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The changes, which will come into force from 8 January 2026, will affect those applying for skilled worker or scale-up visas, which are for people employed by fast-growing businesses.

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When To Use

What does January mean?

January is the first month of the calendar year. It has 31 days and is followed by February. It follows December, the twelfth and final month of the previous year.January is closely associated with its position at the beginning of the year. January 1 is known as New Year’s Day due to being the first day of the year.For many people, January is a time of making New Year’s resolutions—decisions to do something or make some change in the new year, especially to change or start some habit or behavior. For example, many people start new exercise routines or diets in January.In the Northern Hemisphere, January is a winter month. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is a summer month.In the U.S., the most notable holiday in January after New Year’s Day is Martin Luther King Day, which is observed on the third Monday of the month. The inaugurations of new U.S. presidents and members of Congress are also held in January.Example: People treat January as a time of new beginnings and life changes, but I like to remind them that they can do that during any month.