Janus

American  

[jey-nuhs] / ˈdʒeɪ nəs /

noun

1. an ancient Roman god of doorways, of beginnings, and of the rising and setting of the sun, usually represented as having one head with two bearded faces back to back, looking in opposite directions.

2. Astronomy. a moon of the planet Saturn, located just outside the rings.

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Janus ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒeɪnəs /

noun

1. the Roman god of doorways, passages, and bridges. In art he is depicted with two heads facing opposite ways

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Janus ² British  

/ ˈdʒeɪnəs /

noun

1. a small inner satellite of Saturn

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Janus Cultural  

1. The Roman god of doors and gateways and hence of beginnings.

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Discover More

The month of January is named after Janus.

Janus was pictured with two faces looking in opposite directions, one young and one old. Consequently, a hypocritical person is often called “Janus-faced.”

Etymology

Origin of Janus

< Latin, special use of jānus doorway, archway, arcade

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Janus

These companies are expected to have total capex of more than $800 billion this year, up from $450 billion last year, and the figure will top $1 trillion next year, according to Janus Henderson Investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

“Portfolios are already heavy in hyperscaler exposure, making it relatively easy to source existing bonds in the secondary market,” said Lloyd at Janus.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Noah Barrett, lead energy and utilities analyst at Janus Henderson, said in an interview that he considers Wednesday’s drop in oil stocks to be a buying opportunity.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

JAK inhibitors are therapeutic agents that block Janus kinase enzymes to treat diseases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

Janus, too, was originally one of the Numina, “the god of good beginnings,” which are sure to result in good endings.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton