Is 'December' always capitalised?

Yes, as it is a proper noun (the name of a specific month).

What preposition is used with 'December'?

The preposition 'in' is used (e.g., 'in December'). For specific dates, 'on' is used (e.g., 'on December 5th').

Why does 'December' mean 'tenth month' when it's the twelfth?

It comes from the Latin 'decem' (ten), as it was the tenth month in the ancient Roman calendar, which began in March.

Can 'December' be used figuratively?

Yes, especially in literature, to poetically refer to the final stage of something, most commonly old age (e.g., 'the December of his life').

december

UK/dɪˈsɛmbə/US/dɪˈsɛmbər/

Neutral. Used in all registers from informal to formal.

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

The twelfth and final month of the Gregorian calendar year.

Often used figuratively to represent the end of a cycle, period, or a person's life; also associated with winter, holidays, and reflection.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Capitalised as a proper noun. Commonly personified or used metonymically (e.g., 'December's chill'). In the Southern Hemisphere, it signifies the beginning of summer.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical. Holiday associations may differ slightly (e.g., Boxing Day vs. post-Christmas sales).

Connotations

UK: Strongly associated with Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, and winter weather. US: Strongly associated with Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's Eve, and winter holidays.

Frequency

Equal and extremely high frequency in both varieties.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

early/late DecemberDecember 25thDecember holidayscold DecemberDecember night

medium

December issueDecember meetingDecember deadlinemid-DecemberDecember forecast

weak

December weddingDecember bluesDecember saleDecember sun

Grammar

Valency Patterns

in + December (We met in December)last/next/this + DecemberDecember + of + [year] (December of 2020)the + [ordinal] + of + December (the first of December)

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

Yule (archaic/poetic for the season)Christmastime (for the holiday period)

Neutral

the twelfth monththe last monththe final month

Weak

the holiday seasonyear-end

Vocabulary

Antonyms

June (as the sixth month/mid-year/summer counterpart in the Northern Hemisphere)

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“A cold day in December”
“The December of one's life/life's December (poetic, meaning old age)”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Refers to the end of the fiscal/calendar year, quarter-end reporting, and holiday retail periods.

Academic

Refers to the end of the autumn term/semester, examination periods, and winter break.

Everyday

Used for planning, discussing holidays, weather, and year-end events.

Technical

In finance: 'December futures'. In meteorology: part of climatological winter. In computing: a date value.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

To December (as a verb) is not standard.

American English

To December (as a verb) is not standard.

adverb

British English

Decemberly (is not standard).

American English

Decemberly (is not standard).

adjective

British English

The December air was frigid.
We reviewed the December sales figures.

American English

The December weather turned nasty.
She's planning a December vacation.

Examples

By CEFR Level

My birthday is in December.
It is cold in December.
December has many holidays.

We always visit my grandparents in December.
The project must be finished by the end of December.
Last December was unusually warm.

The company's December performance exceeded all expectations.
He always feels a sense of melancholy in the dark days of December.
We're planning to get away for a few days in early December.

The December solstice marks the astronomical beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
In the December of his career, he focused on mentoring young colleagues.
Market volatility tends to increase in December due to year-end portfolio adjustments.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: 'DECEmber' is the DECisive END of the year. Or, it sounds like 'descend' into winter.

Conceptual Metaphor

TIME IS A CYCLE/JOURNEY (December is the destination/end point). LIFE IS A YEAR (December is old age/the final stage).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Remember to capitalise the first letter (Декабрь). Beware of false cognate with 'декабрь' – the meaning is identical, but cultural associations (e.g., New Year vs. Christmas focus) differ.

Common Mistakes

Spelling: 'Desember' or 'Decembar'. Pronunciation: Stress on the first syllable (/ˈdɛsɛmbər/). Article use: 'on December' (incorrect) vs. 'in December' (correct).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

We usually have a big family dinner December.

Multiple Choice

What is a common conceptual metaphor associated with 'December'?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: Yes, as it is a proper noun (the name of a specific month).
: The preposition 'in' is used (e.g., 'in December'). For specific dates, 'on' is used (e.g., 'on December 5th').
: It comes from the Latin 'decem' (ten), as it was the tenth month in the ancient Roman calendar, which began in March.
: Yes, especially in literature, to poetically refer to the final stage of something, most commonly old age (e.g., 'the December of his life').

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A1 · 50 words · Numbers, dates, days and expressions of time.

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