October

noun

Oc·​to·​ber äk-ˈtō-bər How to pronounce October (audio)
: the 10th month of the Gregorian calendar

Examples of October in a Sentence

She started her job in early October. He started early in October. This will be our last October in New England. Sales are up for this October. The event happens every October.
Recent Examples on the Web In October 2022, a grizzly bear attacked and injured two college wrestlers in the Shoshone National Forest in northwestern Wyoming. CBS News, 21 May 2024 The restaurant now hosts fish boils with indoor and outdoor seating Monday through Saturday and holiday Sundays from May through October. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 21 May 2024 Liam Hemsworth and Gabriella Brooks embrace on the beach Photos published by the Daily Mail showed Hemsworth and Brooks embracing on the beach in October 2020. Sydni Ellis, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024 This season had a rocky start, premiering in October amid the Hollywood strikes, but ended strong with multiple viral videos and memorable moments. Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 May 2024 Christopher Zumwalt, a 39-year-old construction worker who specialized in remodeling kitchens, was detained in October 2020 by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024 This year, there are eight events at venues across metro Detroit starting in May and running through October. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 21 May 2024 Its only previous fatal accident was in October 2000 when flight SQ006 crashed when the Boeing 747-400 took off from a closed runway in Taiwan amid heavy rain, killing 83 on board. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024 The second season was announced a month later, in October 2022. Patrick Frater, Variety, 9 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'October.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Octobre, from Old English & Anglo-French; Old English October, from Latin, 8th month of the early Roman calendar, from octo; Anglo-French, from Latin October

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of October was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near October

Cite this Entry

“October.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/October. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

October

noun
Oc·​to·​ber äk-ˈtō-bər How to pronounce October (audio)
: the tenth month of the year
Etymology

Middle English October, Octobre "the tenth month," from Old English October and early French octobre (both, same meaning), both from Latin October "the eighth month," from octo "eight"

Word Origin
According to its origin, the name October, which we know as the tenth month of the year, really means "eighth month." In the first calendar used in ancient Rome, the year had only ten months, starting in March and ending in December. The extra period between December and March was not considered part of the series of months. Later, when two extra months were added to the calendar, October became the tenth month but kept its old name. The Latin name came into Old English as october and into early French as octobre. It was spelled both ways in Middle English. But in time the influence of Latin fixed the spelling as october.

More from Merriam-Webster on October

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