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

Admission is free for active or retired military, fire or law enforcement officers on Memorial Day as a thank you for their service. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025

Still, as many as 100,000 Entergy customers in the New Orleans area lost power on Memorial Day weekend when the regional power grid became overloaded. —Scott Cohn, CNBC, 25 June 2025

Many of the beaches do have parking fees, especially from Memorial Day to Labor Day. —Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2025

Meanwhile, a series of brawls and stabbings occurred over Memorial Day weekend at a popular Jersey shore boardwalk, leading to dozens of arrests. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025

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
• microarray

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.