new year

American

noun

the year approaching or newly begun.
New Year's Day.
(initial capital letters) the first day or few days of a year in any of various calendars.

New Year British

noun

the first day or days of the year in various calendars, usually celebrated as a holiday

"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

Etymology

Origin of new year

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200

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.

Towards the end of March, Iranians celebrated Nowruz, the Persian new year festival that marks the spring equinox and is often a time when families get together.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

In the live, as the members sit around a table of food with a Christmas tree in the background, talk turns to how 2025 is ending and the new year is around the corner.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Iranians were marking the new year spring festival of Nowruz on Friday, as well as the final day of Ramadan, with state media reporting Iran would observe the start of the Eid holiday on Saturday.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

It comes as the population has remained largely unchanged in the new year, after the federal government moved to cut back on once booming immigration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Now they only dance on New Year’s Eve, when we all stay up late and eat our twelve grapes, one for each month of the new year.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

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