monthly
Americanadjective
noun
plural
monthlies-
a periodical published once a month.
-
Informal. Sometimes monthlies. a menstrual period.
adverb
adjective
-
occurring, done, appearing, payable, etc, once every month
-
lasting or valid for a month
a monthly subscription
adverb
noun
-
a book, periodical, magazine, etc, published once a month
-
informal a menstrual period
Other Word Forms
- half-monthly adjective
Etymology
Origin of monthly
Explanation
Anything monthly happens once a month. A monthly paycheck will enable you to pay your monthly rent. Whew! Monthly works well as both an adjective and an adverb, describing anything that occurs every month. You might get a monthly paycheck or make monthly phone calls to your grandmother. Or a freelance writer might write a couple of articles monthly and travel monthly to a nearby amusement park. A monthly can also be a magazine that's published once a month.
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.
Of the 27 that so far have reported data, the median monthly rise of 5.5% exceeds even the surge seen after the onset of the Russia–Ukraine conflict in March 2022, he said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Around two-thirds of reporting economies registered monthly gains in the 97th percentile or higher of their historical distributions, he said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
The monthly breakeven rate was much higher in the 1970s at 185,000 jobs, as women and baby boomers poured into the labor force.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
The stock booked five consecutive monthly declines until inching 1.2% higher in March.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Bosses did not pull children out of school, and there were schools within walking distance for everyone; the school year was six whole months long, and teachers got monthly pay of thirty dollars.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
