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new year
noun
- the year approaching or newly begun.
- (initial capital letters) the first day or few days of a year in any of various calendars.
New Year
noun
- the first day or days of the year in various calendars, usually celebrated as a holiday
Word History and Origins
Origin of new year1
Example Sentences
The public inquiry, sitting at Liverpool Town Hall, is expected to sit until early in the new year.
The period between Thanksgiving and New Year can make or break a retailer’s year, and companies are unsure about how freely shoppers will spend in the weeks ahead.
She will remain on the station, and said more news on what that would involve would be announced in the new year.
"It was our last weekend until New Year that we had a full weekend together without work, so it was a bit gutting."
Free trade talks between India and the UK will be relaunched in the new year, Downing Street has announced.
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More About New Year
What does New Year mean?
When capitalized, the term New Year commonly refers to the first day or the first few days of a new year starting on January 1.
This is the sense of the term that’s used in the phrase Happy New Year and in the terms New Year’s Eve (December 31) and New Year’s Day (January 1), which is a holiday to celebrate the New Year. The term New Year’s can refer to either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. It can also refer to the period of time spanning the end of the year and the beginning of the new one. New Year can also be used in this way, as in We’ll be away for the New Year, but we’ll be back on January 4.
Of course, people who are wishing you a Happy New Year are probably wishing that your entire year is happy, too—not just its first day or first few days. In general, a new year is the year that has just begun or will begin soon.
The term New Year is also used in the context of the beginnings of years that are based on other calendars, such as a Lunar New Year. For example, the Chinese New Year and the Jewish New Year (known as Rosh Hashanah) are both based on lunar calendars. The New Year holiday known as Nowruz (sometimes called the Persian New Year) occurs on the vernal equinox.
In the U.S., the New Year is part of what’s known as the holiday season (sometimes called the holidays)—the period that starts on Thanksgiving and continues until New Year’s Day and includes the holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve.
Many people view the New Year as a time for new beginnings and resolutions.
Example: Let’s see how I keep up with my fitness goals after the New Year.
Where does New Year come from?
The first records of the term New Year come from the 1100s. The term New Year’s Day is first recorded in the 1100s and New Year’s Eve is first recorded in the 1300s.
New Year’s Eve is traditionally a time for parties and counting down to the New Year. Some people seek to observe the passage into a new year quietly, but others do it with a bang—often literally. New Year celebrations often feature fireworks, noisemakers, or banging on pots and pans. The verb phrase ring in in ring in the New Year refers to the fact that the arrival of the New Year is often greeted with the ringing of bells, such as church bells.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to New Year?
- new year (uncapitalized)
What are some synonyms for New Year?
What are some words that share a root or word element with New Year?
What are some words that often get used in discussing New Year?
How is New Year used in real life?
When people use the term New Year, they’re commonly referring to the first few days of the year starting on January 1, which is often seen as a time of new beginnings. But there are other New Year celebrations based on other calendars.
i wanna be very intentional about who i’m around and what i’m doing to celebrate the new year this year. i need to be cute, lit, updating my vision board and setting intentions with my fav people.
— Chrish (@ChrishLikeTrish) November 14, 2020
I won't be ringing in the New Year… Just ringing out 2020
— Nathan McAndrew (@NathanMcAndrew7) December 2, 2020
Look at the amazing job my mom did for our outdoor safe Rosh Hoshanah brunch 🍎 🍯
Happy happy safe and healthy New Year to all who are celebrating 🥳 pic.twitter.com/fpywnxjKMP
— Dan Leach (@DanLeach971) September 19, 2020
Try using New Year!
Is New Year used correctly in the following sentence?
If you don’t have any plans for the New Year, you should come to my party.
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