Columbus Day
noun
Co·lum·bus Day
kə-ˈləm-bəs- 
1
: October 12 formerly observed as a legal holiday in many states of the U.S. in commemoration of the landing of Columbus in the Bahamas in 1492
2
: the second Monday in October observed as a legal holiday in many states of the U.S.
Examples of Columbus Day in a Sentence
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For Italian-Americans in particular, this has been a deeply troubling trend, especially the toppling of Columbus statues and calls to cancel Columbus Day parades and celebrations across the country after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis in 2020.
—
Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Built in the 1930s, it was destroyed in the sixties after a huge storm rolled in on Columbus Day.
—Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 16 Oct. 2025
Following the president's lead, Republicans in Congress introduced legislation to withhold federal funding from jurisdictions that celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day rather than Columbus Day.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Several Columbus Day parades were either canceled — including one in New York City — or postponed due to the storm, according to The Weather Channel.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Columbus Day
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Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Built in the 1930s, it was destroyed in the sixties after a huge storm rolled in on Columbus Day.
—Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 16 Oct. 2025
Following the president's lead, Republicans in Congress introduced legislation to withhold federal funding from jurisdictions that celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day rather than Columbus Day.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Several Columbus Day parades were either canceled — including one in New York City — or postponed due to the storm, according to The Weather Channel.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Columbus Day
Cite this Entry
“Columbus Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Columbus%20Day. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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Columbus Day
noun
Co·lum·bus Day
kə-ˈləm-bəs-
: the second Monday in October observed as a legal holiday in many states of the U.S. in honor of the landing of Columbus in the Bahamas in 1492
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