Christmas

noun

Christ·​mas ˈkris-məs How to pronounce Christmas (audio)
often attributive
1
: a Christian feast on December 25 or among some Eastern Orthodox Christians on January 7 that commemorates the birth of Christ and is usually observed as a legal holiday
2
Christmassy adjective
or Christmasy

Examples of Christmas in a Sentence

We're spending Christmas with my parents. We had a very happy Christmas this year. I wish you all a merry Christmas.
Recent Examples on the Web Spotify made some easy gains in valuation with the brutal culling of 17% of staff before Christmas last year, its biggest-ever round of layoffs as the company sought efficiency gains. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024 A little more than a hundred are currently on display; thousands more, in varying states of conservation, are shelved in a storage room near the estate’s Christmas decorations. Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024 Last seen on the big screen in 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate, Schwarzenegger previously tackled Christmas with the 1996 family comedy Jingle All the Way that co-starred Sinbad. Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Since then, Loughlin has slowly been making her return to TV, beginning with reprising her role as Abigail Stanton in When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas — a spinoff to When Calls the Heart — in December 2021 on Great American Family. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The royal family has a long history of history of alleged retouching, including rumors that William and Kate's most recent Christmas photo had been digitally altered. Brian Barrett, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 Awards The top 5 takeaways from the 2024 Oscars, according to those who were there March 11, 2024 Still, all conflicts are put aside for that very special day, this Hollywood Christmas, when the academy hands out its major trophies. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Middleton has been largely absent from public life since Christmas, ostensibly to focus on her convalescence. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024 Prince William and Catherine often release photos of their family on major occasions, such as Christmas or their children’s birthdays. Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Christmas.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Christemasse, from Old English Cristes mæsse, literally, Christ's mass

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Christmas was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Christmas

Cite this Entry

“Christmas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Christmas. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Christmas

noun
Christ·​mas ˈkris-məs How to pronounce Christmas (audio)
1
: December 25 celebrated in honor of the birth of Christ
2

More from Merriam-Webster on Christmas

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