Easter

noun

Eas·​ter ˈē-stər 

: a feast that commemorates Christ's resurrection and is observed with variations of date due to different calendars on the first Sunday after the paschal full moon

Examples of Easter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ritual occurs every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on the day before Easter and consists of the lighting of a fire — said to emerge miraculously — that is then distributed to Orthodox countries including Romania. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 June 2025

The main rules are a gorgeous full-color book full of evocative art full of plenty of Easter eggs for fans of the show. —Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

After his death the day after Easter at age 88, Francis was hailed for pushing Catholics and others to forsake egotism and materialism in favor of a kinder, more tolerant world focused above all on the marginalized. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025

Rapamycin is not new – it was identified in 1972, in soil samples taken from Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, as European explorers coined it, in 1964. —New Atlas, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English estre, from Old English ēastre; akin to Old High German ōstarun (plural) Easter, Old English ēast east

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Easter

• Easter basket
• Easter bunny
• Easter egg
• Easter lily
• Easter Monday

Kids Definition

Easter

noun

Eas·​ter ˈē-stər 

: a Christian holiday celebrating Christ's resurrection that is observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after March 21