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• new year
  new year

  noun

  the year approaching or newly begun.
• New Year
  New Year

  noun

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

new year

American  

noun

1. the year approaching or newly begun.

2. New Year's Day.

3. (initial capital letters) the first day or few days of a year in any of various calendars.

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New Year British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of new year

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200

Example Sentences

"The announcement put out on 20 December says that he will be out early in the new year - it does not say, 'subject to vetting'," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

The physical damage adds to an economic crisis that was already so severe it sparked mass protests that shook the country around the new year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Sales at U.S. retailers bounced back in February after a brief weak spell, suggesting the economy is still expanding at a decent pace despite a turbulent start to the new year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 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

In January of the new year 1863, the fighting further intensified as Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people in the Confederate states.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock