Juneteenth

noun

June·​teenth ˌjün-ˈtēn(t)th 

: June 19 observed as a legal holiday in the United States in commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S.

Note: The federal name for this holiday according to the United States Code is Juneteenth National Independence Day. It is also called Black Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day.

Examples of Juneteenth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gunfire broke out at a Juneteenth celebration Saturday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing one person and wounding seven others, according to police and the organizers of the event. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 22 June 2025

The crowd, which included hundreds of people, gathered for the county's sixth annual Juneteenth celebration, sheriff's officials wrote in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2025

Lizzo strikes a pose while at the Celebrity Softball Game at Dodger Stadium, hosted by Mookie Betts to celebrate Black Heritage Night on Juneteenth. 40 of 120 Smile for the Camera Sarah Ferguson and her daughter Princess Eugenie are pictured smiling at Day 4 of the Royal Ascot. —Toria Sheffield, People.com, 22 June 2025

The court was closed on Thursday, June 19, for Juneteenth and a half-day was already scheduled for Friday. —Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

blend of June and nineteenth

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Juneteenth

• Juneteenth Independence Day
• Juneteenth National Independence Day

Rhymes for Juneteenth

• seventeenth
• eighteenth
• fifteenth
• fourteenth
• nineteenth
• sixteenth
• thirteenth
• umpteenth

Kids Definition

Juneteenth

noun

June·​teenth

ˌjün-ˈtēn(t)th

: June 19 observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. in commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S.