# Julian

/ˈdʒuɫiən/ (US)

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

## Senses

### 1. the old calendar

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

relating to the calendar system used before the modern Gregorian one.

For teachers: relating to the calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, which was replaced by the Gregorian calendar in 1582.

- Historians often note that dates in old documents follow the Julian calendar.
- The adoption of the Gregorian system was delayed in some regions, leading to a ten-day discrepancy between Julian and modern dates during the sixteenth century.

Usage: Usually capitalized and placed before the noun 'calendar'.

### 2. relating to Julius Caesar

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal · Academic

relating to the Roman leader Julius Caesar.

For teachers: pertaining to the life, reign, or era of the Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar.

- The professor gave a lecture on Julian laws and Roman politics.
- The Julian dynasty established a new framework for imperial power that would define the Roman state for centuries to come.

## Examples

- The Julian calendar has a leap year every four years.
- Historians must often convert Julian dates to Gregorian ones when studying documents from the sixteenth century.
- While the Gregorian reform corrected the drift of the solar year, some Orthodox churches still observe religious holidays according to the Julian reckoning, resulting in different celebration dates.

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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.