November
November
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling and Syllable Breakdown:
/noʊˈvɛmbər/
No-: /noʊ/ (n as in "no," long o as in "boat")
-vem-: /vɛm/ (v as in "vase," short e as in "bed," m as in "mad")
-ber: /bər/ (b as in "boy," er as in "butter")
Word Form Variations
"November" is primarily a proper noun and does not have typical singular/plural variations in the same way common nouns do. It refers to a specific month.
Singular: November (referring to the month itself)
Possessive: November's (e.g., "November's weather")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition: The eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar, falling between October and December, consisting of 30 days. It is typically associated with autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere, and often includes holidays such as Thanksgiving in the United States.
Synonyms: Eleventh month, autumnal month (in Northern Hemisphere), late autumn (in Northern Hemisphere)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms as it's a specific name, but conceptual opposites could be other months, e.g., July, January)
Definition: (Figurative, often poetic) A period or state characterized by declining light, approaching cold, or a sense of conclusion; metaphorically representing the later stages of life or a process, or a time of reflection before a significant change.
Synonyms: Twilight, decline, wane, approaching end, autumn years
Antonyms: Spring, dawn, beginning, genesis, prime
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a spurt of gritty dust from entering along with him. The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. At one end of it a coloured poster, too large for indoor display, had been tacked to the wall. It depicted simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features. Winston made for the stairs. It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was seldom working, and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week. The flat was on the seventh floor, and Winston, who was thirty-nine, and had a varicose ulcer above his right ankle, went slowly, resting several times on the way. On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran.
Inside the flat a fruity voice was droning forth from the telescreen. It was an oblong metal plaque like a dulled mirror, forming part of the surface of the right-hand wall. Winston turned a switch and the voice grew a little fainter. The instrument (the telescreen, of course) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely. He moved over to the window: a tiny, Novemberish day, cold and grey, but with a promise of something warmer to come, perhaps. The Ministry of Truth—Miniluv, to give it its proper name—was only three hundred metres away. It was an enormous pyramidal structure of glittering white concrete, soaring up, terrace after terrace, three hundred metres into the air. From where Winston stood he could just make out the words: WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH." (George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, June 1949)
Newspapers:
"Early voting for the November 5 general election begins on Oct. 21 in most states." (The New York Times)
"The Met Office said temperatures would be mild for the time of year across much of the UK, with the mercury potentially hitting 15C in parts of south-east England this weekend, but that the picture for November overall was more uncertain." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"What to Expect at CES 2025: As the tech world gears up for its annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas, anticipation is building for what innovations will be unveiled. While the official dates for CES 2025 are from January 7-10, planning and announcements often begin as early as November of the preceding year." (TechCrunch)
"The U.S. consumer price index, a key measure of inflation, rose 3.1% in November from a year ago, according to the Labor Department." (Bloomberg.com)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film Title: Sweet November (2001) – A romantic drama film starring Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron.
Song Title: "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses (released on the album Use Your Illusion I, September 1991)
Video Game Release: "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is rumored to have a November 2024 release date, continuing the franchise's tradition of fall launches."
General Public Discourse:
"Are you ready for Movember? It's that time of year again when men grow moustaches throughout November to raise awareness for men's health issues."
"I always look forward to November because that's when the holiday season officially kicks off for our family with Thanksgiving."
"The weather in November can be so unpredictable – one day it's mild, the next it's freezing."
10 Quotes Using November
"The thinnest yellow light of November is more warming and exhilarating than any wine they tell of." (Henry David Thoreau)
"So dull and dark are the November days. The lazy mist high up the evening curled, and now the morn quite hides in the smoke and haze; the place we occupy seems all the world." (John Clare)
"But there is always a November space after the leaves have fallen when she felt it was almost indecent to intrude on the woods… for their glory terrestrial had departed and their glory celestial of spirit and purity and whiteness had not yet come upon them." (L.M. Montgomery)
"Don't wait until the fourth Thursday in November, to sit with family and friends to give thanks. Make every day a day of Thanksgiving!" (Charmaine J. Forde)
"Welcome sweet November, the season of senses and my favorite month of all." (Gregory F. Lenz)
"November always seems to me the Norway of the year." (Emily Dickinson)
"November's sky is chill and drear, November's life is red and sear." (Sir Walter Scott)
"Fallen leaves lying on the grass in the November sun bring more happiness than the daffodils." (Cyril Connolly)
"There is October in every November and there is November in every December. All seasons melted in each other's life." (Mehmet Murat ildan)
"The house was very quiet, and the fog—we are in November now—pressed against the windows like an excluded ghost." (E.M. Forster)
Etymology
The word "November" comes from the Latin word "novem," which means "nine."
This might seem a bit odd, since November is the eleventh month in our current calendar! The reason for this is that the original Roman calendar only had ten months, and the year started in March. So, in that old Roman system, November was indeed the ninth month.
Even after new months (January and February) were added to the calendar, and later reforms led to the Julian and then Gregorian calendars we use today, the names of these later months, including November, kept their original numerical roots.
The word "November" has been used in English since before the year 1000, borrowed through Old French from its Latin origins. Its meaning has consistently been associated with this specific month of the year.
Phrases + Idioms Containing November
November in the air: A feeling or atmosphere characteristic of late autumn; often implying a sense of chill, dampness, or the approach of winter.
A November day: Refers to a day that is typically cold, gray, and possibly wet, characteristic of the month.
Indian Summer of November: A period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in late autumn, typically in November, after a period of colder weather.
The November blues: A feeling of sadness or melancholy often attributed to the darker, colder days and the end of daylight saving time in November.
As dark as a November night: Very dark, emphasizing the long nights of late autumn.
To put something off until next November: To procrastinate or delay something for a very long time, or indefinitely.
Last November: Referring to the previous year's November.
Early November / Late November: Specifies a particular part of the month.
Turned to November: (Original phrase) Suggests a sudden shift to a colder, bleaker, or more somber mood or condition.
The autumn years of life (using a synonym for similar effect): Refers to the later stages of a person's life, analogous to the end of the year's growing season.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of November from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
