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.

---

Janus ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒeɪnəs /

noun

1. a small inner satellite of Saturn

---

Janus ² British  

/ ˈdʒeɪnəs /

noun

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

---

Janus Cultural  

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

---

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

“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 triggers a structural imbalance called a Janus reaction, which creates internal strain within the layers.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 31, 2026

A slowdown in economic activity will also spur a pickup in default risk, forcing banks to set aside higher provisions for potential losses, Janus Henderson Investors fund manager Robert Schramm-Fuchs said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

“What about the choice Janus mentioned? Hera said—” “Stop,” Annabeth snapped.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan