July

[ joo-lahy, juh-lahy ]

noun

, plural Ju·lies, Ju·lys.

1. the seventh month of the year, containing 31 days. : Jul.

July

/ dʒuːˈlaɪ; dʒə-; dʒʊ- /

noun

1. the seventh month of the year, consisting of 31 days

Word History and Origins

Origin of July¹

before 1050; Middle English julie < Anglo-French < Latin Jūlius ( Caesar ), after whom it was named; replacing Old English Julius < Latin; Middle English ju ( i ) l < Old French < Latin

Word History and Origins

Origin of July¹

C13: from Anglo-French julie, from Latin Jūlius, after Gaius Julius Caesar , in whose honour it was named

Example Sentences

Safarova listened, hurrah, and the idea became a 20-seat reality in July.

From Washington Post

In July, 72 percent approved of his handling of the pandemic, and that has dropped to 54 percent now, according to a Marist College poll this month.

From Washington Post

He dealt with a groin strain in July, was sent down in August, then ended the season early after he was hit by a 95-mph fastball in September.

From Washington Post

“Having an existing, on-the-ground infrastructure in place definitely helped us mobilize help quickly,” says Kristin Williamson, a Pandemic of Love Dallas volunteer since July.

From Time

In July, she claimed a victory and stepped into history when she became the editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar — making her the first person of color to lead the fashion glossy in its 154-year history.

From Washington Post

“This is a federal mandate that is causing some real problems for schools across the country,” Kline told a CBS affiliate in July.

From The Daily Beast

Compare that to Guardians of the Galaxy which opened in Korea on July 31.

From The Daily Beast

Same goes for the comic book character “Captain America,” which Marvel announced in July would be now be portrayed as a black man.

From The Daily Beast

In a bizarre matchup, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor came for the 20-year-old singer this past July in Ibiza.

From The Daily Beast

Brinsley got out of jail last July, and was desperate and aimless.

From The Daily Beast

A flightless, juvenal female was obtained by local boys at Pisté on July 21.

From Project Gutenberg

The archbishop of Manila sends to the king (July 30, 1621) an account of ecclesiastical and some other affairs in his diocese.

From Project Gutenberg

A moderately enlarged testis (probably regressing) was noted in the specimen from Pisté, on July 21.

From Project Gutenberg

With this letter is another by the same writer, dated July 30, 1622—a postscript to a duplicate of the preceding letter.

From Project Gutenberg

He come July six, for don't you mind how they called him Cevery out of pity and generosity for the Spayniards?

From Project Gutenberg

More About July

What does July mean?

July is the seventh month of the calendar year, lasting 31 days and falling between June and August. It’s one of the 12 months of the Gregorian calendar.

In the Northern Hemisphere, July is a summer month. The days during the period from July 3 to August 11 are traditionally known as the dog days of summer. In the Southern Hemisphere, July is a winter month.

What happens in July?

In Canada, July 1 is the patriotic national holiday known as Canada Day. In the U.S., July 4 is Independence Day, popularly known as the Fourth of July. July 14 is the national day of France, known in English as Bastille Day.

In the U.S., July is observed as BIPOC Mental Health Month.

In astrology, the sign Cancer applies to those born between June 22 and July 22. The sign Leo applies to those born between July 23 and August 23.

Example: As soon as July begins, I can already feel the dog days of summer setting in.

Where does July come from?

The first records of the word July come from before 1050. It comes from the Latin mēnsis Jūlius, meaning “Julius’s month,” referring to Roman Emperor Julius Caesar.

Originally, the Roman calendar consisted of 10 months instead of 12. During the reign of Julius Caesar, two additional months—what we now call January and February—were added so that the months would fall during the same seasons each year. (This new calendar was called the Julian calendar, which was further revised with the Gregorian calendar, which is still used today).

Due to the change, each of the existing months shifted. The fifth month of the year, named Quintilis (the root quint- means “five”), became the seventh month of the year and was renamed after Julius Caesar, eventually coming to be known as July.

The sixth month, Sextilis, was renamed after Augustus Caesar and eventually became August. The last four months of the year still retain roots referring to a number that’s incompatible with their current position in the calendar (for example, September means “seventh month” but it’s the ninth; December means “tenth month” but it’s the twelfth).

 

Discover more to the story behind the word July, by reading our article on the name’s fascinating history.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to July?

• Julies (plural)
• Julys (plural)

What are some words that share a root or word element with July? 

• Fourth of July
• Julius Caesar
• Julian calendar

What are some words that often get used in discussing July?

• month
• calendar
• June
• August
• summer
• winter
• dog days
• Independence Day
• Cancer
• Leo

How is July used in real life?

In the Northern Hemisphere, July is associated with summertime.

If you're keeping track, planet earth had the hottest June ever recorded, the hottest July, the 2nd-hottest August, and now the hottest September. Please join the fight for a livable futurehttps://t.co/G07NtkzvP5

— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) October 6, 2019

this snow is just not working for me, I need some hot July weather ☀

— Sammy Rivera (@sarivera7) February 8, 2012

Partly cloudy, 75°, and light breeze at 7:45p on a day in late July? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? pic.twitter.com/mTaXGvCB2A

— Nate Johnson (@nsj) July 29, 2017

Try using July!

True or False? 

July is named after Roman Emperor Julius Caesar.