Julian calendar

American  

[jool-yuhn kal-uhn-der] / ˈdʒul jən ˈkæl ən dər /

noun

1. the calendar established by Julius Caesar in 46 b.c., fixing the length of the year at 365 days and at 366 days every fourth year: there are 12 months of 30 or 31 days, except for February, which has 28 days with the exception of every fourth year, or leap year, when it has 29 days.

---

Julian calendar British  

noun

1. the calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 _bc , identical to the present calendar in all but two aspects: the beginning of the year was not fixed on Jan 1 and leap years occurred every fourth year and in every centenary year Compare Gregorian calendar

---

Etymology

Origin of Julian calendar

First recorded in 1650–60

Compare meaning

How does julian-calendar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Gregorian calendar vs. Julian calendar

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Julian calendar

The foundations for representative government, the 365-day Julian calendar, modern sanitation, newspapers, roads and the postal system were established in Rome.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

Foula residents do not follow the Julian calendar as a strict daily rule due to the practicalities of island life, as they have to fit in with things such as plane and ferry timetables.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2025

The move is more than just a change of date from 7 January - the date for Christmas in the Julian calendar, which Russia uses.

From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2023

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the branch that is separate from the Russian church, announced earlier this year that it was switching to the Revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on Dec. 25.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 29, 2023

The Julian calendar, which Scaliger named after his father, counts the days since Day 0.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann