# Jan

/ˈdʒæn/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jan
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. January

noun · CEFR A1

Stands for January.

For teachers: Abbreviation for January. It is the standard three-letter shortening used in administrative and calendar contexts.

- The next meeting is scheduled for Jan 15th.
- The fiscal report covers the period from Jan 1 to March 31, detailing the initial quarterly growth.

Usage: Usually written with a capital 'J' and often followed by a period (Jan.) in formal American English.

Teaching tip: While common in writing and on forms, people rarely say 'Jan' out loud; they usually say the full word 'January'.

## Examples

- The winter sale starts on Jan 1st.
- The deadline for the project is Jan 15, so we need to finish the draft by next week.
- While the full name is preferred in formal correspondence, Jan is frequently used in technical documentation and spreadsheet headers to save horizontal space.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.