Janus

American  

[jay-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

“A hot inflation print would very much increase the probability of a hike in September, but just one print isn’t going to bake it in the cake,” said Bradford Smith, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

“Many of the hyperscalers are beginning to undo years of carefully manicured capital allocation, with share buybacks now making way for share issues,” says John Lloyd, Janus Henderson’s global head of multisector credit.

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

“This transaction is a watershed moment as we now do expect more hyperscalers to evaluate issuing equity to fund their growing capex needs,” says analyst Divyaunsh Divatia of Janus Henderson.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

“One last thing, Annabeth. I have postponed your day of choice. I have not prevented it. Soon, as Janus said, you will have to make a decision. Farewell!”

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan