April

IPA/ˈeɪpɹəl/
KK[ˈeprəl]IPA/ˈeɪprəl/

April — noun

1. the fourth month in the Western calendar, coming right after March and ending ju

1.nounA1
Definition

the fourth month in the Western calendar, coming right after March and ending just before May begins; it has 30 days and falls in spring in the northern half of the world.

Example

Xiomara's wedding will take place in April next year.

preposition: in April

The cherry trees in our garden start to bloom in early April.

phrase: early / mid / late April

Common collocations
  • in April
  • early / mid / late April
  • April showers
  • last April
  • next April

Grammar Patterns

in April

on [date] April

April [year]

Usage Note

Always written with a capital A, like other month names. Use the preposition 'in' for the whole month and 'on' for a specific date in April.

Common Mistakes

My birthday is in april.
My birthday is in April.
month names are always capitalized in English.
We met on April.
We met in April.
use 'in' for a whole month, not 'on'.

Word family

  • April Fools' Day
    nounB1
  • April showers
    nounB2

Common collocations

Nouns

  • April showers
  • April morning
  • April afternoon
  • April weather
  • April Fools' Day

Phrases

  • early April
  • mid-April
  • late April
  • last April
  • next April
  • this coming April

Prepositions

  • in April
  • on [date] April
  • during April
  • throughout April
  • by April

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The name April comes from Latin 'Aprilis', the fourth month in the Roman calendar. Its earlier root is uncertain: some Roman writers connected it with the verb 'aperire', meaning 'to open', because spring is the season when buds and flowers open up. The word travelled into Old French as 'avril' and entered Middle English around the 1300s, gradually replacing the older English name 'Eastermonað' (Easter-month).