new year's
B1Standard, neutral to informal. Common in everyday conversation, media, and celebratory contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The holiday marking the beginning of the calendar year, specifically referring to December 31st (New Year's Eve) and January 1st (New Year's Day).
The period encompassing the celebration and associated traditions, often used as a modifier for related events, resolutions, and customs. It implies a time of transition, fresh beginnings, and reflection.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a possessive modifier (e.g., New Year's Eve, New Year's resolution). When used alone, it is often understood contextually to refer to the holiday period itself, not just the day.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Very few substantive differences. Both use the term identically. Minor differences may exist in associated traditions (e.g., specific TV shows, songs) but not in the term itself.
Connotations
Identical connotations of celebration, renewal, and festivity.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[possessive modifier] + noun (Eve, Day, resolution)[celebrate/ring in/spend] + New Year's[Happy] + New Year's!Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “ring in the New Year”
- “out with the old, in with the new”
- “turn over a new leaf (related to resolutions)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The office will be closed for New Year's." Refers to the public holiday.
Academic
"The study observed behavioral changes following New Year's resolutions."
Everyday
"What are your plans for New Year's?"
Technical
Rarely used in technical contexts except in calendrical or sociological studies.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We plan to see the New Year's in with fireworks over the Thames.
- They traditionally first-foot after New Year's.
American English
- We're going to ring in the New Year's in Times Square.
- They toast to New Year's at midnight.
adverb
British English
- The shop will reopen New Year's.
- We meet annually, every New Year's.
American English
- They party hard every New Year's.
- We visit family New Year's.
adjective
British English
- The New Year's holiday sales are huge.
- We watched the Queen's New Year's message.
American English
- The New Year's Day parade is spectacular.
- She made a typical New Year's resolution to exercise more.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Happy New Year's!
- I like New Year's.
- We have a party on New Year's Eve.
- What is your New Year's resolution?
- My family always gets together for New Year's.
- The city has fireworks for New Year's.
- After the excesses of New Year's, I'm ready for a healthier routine.
- Celebrating New Year's in a different country can be a fascinating cultural experience.
- The sociological pressure to formulate meaningful New Year's resolutions often leads to their rapid abandonment.
- His cynicism towards the forced joviality of New Year's celebrations was well known.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'New Year's' needs an 'S' because it's shorthand for 'New Year's Eve' or 'New Year's Day' – it possesses the eve or the day.
Conceptual Metaphor
A NEW BEGINNING IS A CLEAN SLATE / A JOURNEY. We 'start afresh', 'turn a new page', and 'look ahead'.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation like 'Новый годовый' – the standard term is 'Новый год'.
- Remember the apostrophe + 's' (New Year's) which is not reflected in the Russian phrase.
- Do not confuse 'New Year's' (the holiday) with simply 'new year' (any upcoming year).
Common Mistakes
- Writing 'New Years' without the apostrophe.
- Using 'New Year' alone when the possessive modifier is needed (e.g., 'New Year resolution' is incorrect).
- Capitalizing 'year's' when not at the start of a sentence ('Happy new year's' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the CORRECT written form?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Use 'New Year's' when it acts as a possessive modifier for another noun (Eve, Day, resolution). Use 'New Year' when referring to the year itself (e.g., 'Happy New Year!', 'in the new year').
Yes, 'New Year's' is a proper noun referring to a specific holiday and should be capitalised, similar to 'Christmas' or 'Easter'.
'New Year's Eve' is December 31st, the night before the new year. 'New Year's Day' is January 1st, the first day of the new year.
Yes, informally. 'What are you doing for New Year's?' is common and understood to mean the celebration around December 31st/January 1st.