What does "august" mean?
Alternative form of auguste (“kind of clown”).
August
/ɔːˈɡʌst/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Alternative form of auguste (“kind of clown”).
- Grammar: august is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: venerable, aristocratic, aug, awe inspiring.
- Useful contrasts: humble, ignoble, lowly.
- Usage evidence: Here it's August and our summer vacation is nearly over.
How to use "august"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "august" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "august" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "august" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "august" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "august" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "venerable" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "august", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Alternative form of auguste (“kind of clown”). alt-of, alternative
- 2 the month following July and preceding September wordnet
Verb
- 1 To make ripe; ripen. obsolete, rare
- 2 To bring to realization. obsolete, rare
"By divine science and cœlestial art / He for the cause of the dear nations toiled, / And augusted man's heavenly hopes that so, / […] / he might, by awful rites / […] / Adhæsion with Divinity achieve."
Adjective
- 1 Awe-inspiring, majestic, noble, venerable.
"an august patron of the arts"
- 2 Of noble birth.
"an august lineage"
Adjective
- 1 profoundly honored wordnet
- 2 of or befitting a lord wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 The eighth month of the Roman, Julian, and Gregorian calendars, following July and preceding September.
"Holonyms: calendar year; year"
- 2 A male given name from Latin.
"Thirteen year old August is the eldest; he begins to pull the kite downward. Like his sister and brother, June and July, he has been named after the month in which he was born."
- 3 A female given name from English derived from the month (of birth). archaic
"August, Charis named her, because that's when she was born. Warm breezes, baby powder, languorous heat, the smell of mown hay. Such a soft name. Too soft for her daughter, who has added an a. Augusta, she is now — a very different resonance. Marble statues, Roman noses, tight-lipped commanding mouths."
- 4 A surname from Latin.
- 5 A census-designated place in San Joaquin County, California, United States.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Here it's August and our summer vacation is nearly over."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "august"?
Common synonyms include: venerable, aristocratic, aug, awe inspiring, awe-inspiring, awesome.
How do you use "august" in a sentence?
Here it's August and our summer vacation is nearly over.
How do you pronounce "august"?
Pronounced /ɔːˈɡʌst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From French auguste (“noble, stately; august”) or Latin augustus (“majestic, venerable, august; imperial, royal”), from augeō (“to augment, increase; to enlarge, expand, spread”). Doublet of Augustus.
Etymology 2
From August.
Etymology 3
Early Middle English August(us), re-Latinized from Old English Agustus, from Late Latin Agustus, from Latin augustus (“month of August”), from the agnomen Augustus (“venerable”) of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, possibly from either Old Latin *augos (“increase”), from Proto-Italic *augos, from Proto-Indo-European base *h₂ewg- (“to increase”); or Latin avis (“bird”), referring to divination by observing bird flights, singing, feeding or entrails + garrīre (“to chatter”).
Etymology 4
In some cases a month name from English. In other cases inspired by the common German given name August, from Latin Augustus.