January

American  

[jan-yoo-er-ee] / ˈdʒæn yuˌɛr i /

noun

plural

Januaries

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

---

January British  

/ ˈdʒænjʊərɪ /

noun

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

---

Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of January

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

Example Sentences

Ten employees of the Vancouver-based Vizsla Silver Corp have been missing since 23 January, when they were taken from a mining site near Concordia, Mexico.

From BBC

The mayor added that since 19 January, when a Code Blue emergency was announced - which relaxed intake policies for homeless shelters - about 1,400 placements had been made into shelters.

From BBC

Nancy Guthrie disappeared in the middle of night from her home in Tucson, Arizona, and was last seen on 31 January.

From BBC

For January, economists polled by the Wall Street Journal predict a 55,000 increase in new jobs, with the unemployment rate sticking to 4.4%.

From MarketWatch

“Even if the January payrolls numbers look robust, we still see signs that the labor backdrop is worsening,” economists at Jefferies wrote in a note to clients.

From MarketWatch