au·gust
ȯ-ˈgəst 
ˈȯ-(ˌ)gəst
ˈȯ-(ˌ)gəst
: marked by majestic dignity or grandeur
her august lineage
an august mansion
augustly
adverb
Au·gust
ˈȯ-gəst
: the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar
Synonyms
Examples of august in a Sentence
Adjective
We visited their august mansion and expansive grounds.
The family claims an august lineage.
Noun
We are taking our vacation in August.
The last two Augusts have been very dry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2012
Rossi's background includes the hagiographic Page One: Inside The New York Times and the documentary's executive producers include CNN's Brian Stelter, its talking heads coming largely from the more august and austere hubs of the legacy media.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2020
In person, Barnett has rock-star charisma that belies her august pedigree and sets her apart from her besuited peers.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2020
At the moment, the Oscars reflect the Academy, but the Academy reflects nothing but its august name; plausible deniability and the shunning of responsibility are built into the current system.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2020
See all Example Sentences for august 
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Adjective
And Julian would get his first publication in a journal from the Royal Society, one of the world’s most august scientific institutions. .
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2012
Rossi's background includes the hagiographic Page One: Inside The New York Times and the documentary's executive producers include CNN's Brian Stelter, its talking heads coming largely from the more august and austere hubs of the legacy media.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2020
In person, Barnett has rock-star charisma that belies her august pedigree and sets her apart from her besuited peers.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2020
At the moment, the Oscars reflect the Academy, but the Academy reflects nothing but its august name; plausible deniability and the shunning of responsibility are built into the current system.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2020
See all Example Sentences for august
Dictionary Entries Near august
Cite this Entry
“August.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/august. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
august
1 of 2 adjective
au·gust
ȯ-ˈgəst
: being grand and noble : majestic
augustly
adverb
augustness
noun
August
2 of 2 noun
Au·gust
ˈȯ-gəst
: the eighth month of the year
Etymology
Noun
Old English August "the eighth month," from Latin Augustus "August," from Augustus (Caesar)
Word Origin
The first calendar used by the ancient Romans began the year with March. The month that we now call August was then the sixth month of the year and was known by the name Sextilis, a Latin word meaning "sixth." When the emperor Augustus Caesar was in power, however, he wished to have a month named after himself. The Roman senate satisfied him by changing Sextilis to Augustus. The English word August comes from the Latin Augustus.
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