Memorial Day

noun

1

: May 30 formerly observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S. in remembrance of war dead

2

: the last Monday in May observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S.

3

: confederate memorial day

Examples of Memorial Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

They were joined by about 50 guests for the Memorial Day weekend festivities. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend, the department posts alerts on Facebook about water quality conditions and warnings in the event of an advisory or closure, which are also mapped by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. — Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Home Depot is flat since Memorial Day, while Lowes has fallen more than 6% in that time. — Frank Holland, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

The cave closed Labor Day and will not reopen until Memorial Day. — Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Memorial Day

• andromache
• bioassay
• cabriolet
• cercariae
• communique
• companionway
• compositae
• decussate
• examinee
• fabaceae
• glyphosate
• gramineae

Kids Definition

Memorial Day

noun

1

: May 30 once observed as a legal holiday in honor of those who died in war

2

: the last Monday in May observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S.