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Synonyms

month

American  
[muhnth] / mʌnθ /

noun

  1. Also called calendar month.  any of the twelve parts, as January or February, into which the calendar year is divided.

  2. the time from any day of one calendar month to the corresponding day of the next.

  3. a period of four weeks or 30 days.

  4. Also called solar month.  one-twelfth of a solar or tropical year.

  5. Also called lunar month.  the period of a complete revolution of the moon around the earth, as the period between successive new moons synodic month, equal to 29.531 days, or the period between successive conjunctions with a star sidereal month, equal to 27.322 days, or the period between successive perigees anomalistic month, equal to 27.555 days, or the period between successive similar nodes nodical month, or draconic month, equal to 27.212 days.

  6. an unusually long period of time of indefinite length.

    I haven't seen him for months.

idioms

  1. a month of Sundays. Sunday.

month British  
/ mʌnθ /

noun

  1. one of the twelve divisions ( calendar months ) of the calendar year

  2. a period of time extending from one date to a corresponding date in the next calendar month

  3. a period of four weeks or of 30 days

  4. the period of time ( tropical month ) taken by the moon to return to the same longitude after one complete revolution around the earth; 27.321 58 days (approximately 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, 4.5 seconds)

  5. the period of time ( sidereal month ) taken by the moon to make one complete revolution around the earth, measured between two successive conjunctions with a distant star; 27.321 66 days (approximately 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, 11 seconds)

  6. Also called: lunation.  the period of time ( lunar or synodic month ) taken by the moon to make one complete revolution around the earth, measured between two successive new moons; 29.530 59 days (approximately 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 3 seconds)

  7. informal a long unspecified period

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
month More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing month

    • (for months) on end
    • by the day (month)

Etymology

Origin of month

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English mōnath; cognate with Old High German mānōd, Old Norse mānathr. See moon

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Earlier this month, the organization hosted a seminar with special effects makeup artist Veniesa Dillon on sculpting techniques and prosthetic application.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

However, the firm was forced to temporarily pause production in Solihull at the end of last month because of a parts issue involving a supplier.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Until something changes, the economy is no longer going to churn out hundreds of thousands of new jobs every month.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

Swiss inflation last month rose to its highest level since March last year, as the conflict in the Middle East pushed oil prices upward.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

“I’ll never get the poor things clean,” she said, “not unless I spend a month in this spot.”

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.