calendar

/ˈkæləndər/

/ˈkælɛndə/

Other forms: calendars; calendared; calendaring

A calendar is a chart that organizes the year into days, weeks or months. It's also a list of appointments or activities, like the calendar for the club that lists when the bands are playing.

A calendar might hang on your refrigerator, where you can scribble your appointments on the squares. If you have something scheduled every day of the week, your calendar is full. In that case you might keep track of your dates with a calendar on your computer (or phone). Don't misspell it with an er ending, or you're referring to a machine that presses cloth. If you remember that "DAys" are in calenDArs, then you'll know to end it with a DAr.

Definitions of calendar

1. noun

   a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year
   types:

   lunar calendar

   a calendar based on lunar cycles

   lunisolar calendar

   a calendar based on both lunar and solar cycles

   solar calendar

   a calendar based on solar cycles

   Roman calendar

   the lunar calendar in use in ancient Rome; replaced by the Julian calendar in 46 BC

   Gregorian calendar, New Style calendar

   the solar calendar now in general use, introduced by Gregory XIII in 1582 to correct an error in the Julian calendar by suppressing 10 days, making Oct 5 be called Oct 15, and providing that only centenary years divisible by 400 should be leap years; it was adopted by Great Britain and the American colonies in 1752

   Julian calendar, Old Style calendar

   the solar calendar introduced in Rome in 46 b.c. by Julius Caesar and slightly modified by Augustus, establishing the 12-month year of 365 days with each 4th year having 366 days and the months having 31 or 30 days except for February

   Revolutionary calendar

   the calendar adopted by the first French Republic in 1793 and abandoned in 1805; dates were calculated from Sept. 22, 1792

   Hebrew calendar, Jewish calendar

   (Judaism) the calendar used by the Jews; dates from 3761 BC (the assumed date of the Creation of the world); a lunar year of 354 days is adjusted to the solar year by periodic leap years

   Islamic calendar, Mohammedan calendar, Moslem calendar, Muhammadan calendar, Muslim calendar

   the lunar calendar used by Muslims; dates from 622 AD (the year of the Hegira); the beginning of the Muslim year retrogresses through the solar year completing the cycle every 32 years

   Hindu calendar

   the lunisolar calendar governing the religious life of Hindus; an extra month is inserted after every month in which there are two new moons (once every three years)

   type of:

   arrangement, organisation, organization, system

   an organized structure for arranging or classifying
2. noun

   a tabular array of the days (usually for one year)
   types:

   perpetual calendar

   a chart or mechanical device that indicates the days of the week corresponding to any given date over a long period of years

   type of:

   table, tabular array

   a set of data arranged in rows and columns
3. noun

   a list or register of events (appointments or social events or court cases etc)
   “I have you on my calendar for next Monday”

   types:

   docket

   (law) the calendar of a court; the list of cases to be tried or a summary of the court's activities

   type of:

   list, listing

   a database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)
4. verb

   enter into a calendar
   type of:

   schedule

   plan for an activity or event