Cinco de Mayo

noun

ˌsiŋ-kō-də-ˈmī-ō 

ˌsēŋ-kō-t͟hā-ˈmä-yō

: a Mexican and Mexican-American celebration held on May 5 in commemoration of the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862

Examples of Cinco de Mayo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The business owner on North Lake Avenue who opened her restaurant on Cinco de Mayo to offer the community an ounce of normalcy. —Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026

When is Cinco de Mayo 2026? Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the French Empire, is observed annually on May 5, which is a Tuesday in 2026. —Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Jan. 2026

Other calendar quirks in 2026 Another celebration that falls on a pretty convenient day is Cinco de Mayo. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025

But before Cinco de Mayo, comes: #MayThe4thBeWithYou. —Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, fifth of May

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Cinco de Mayo

• buteo
• cacao
• vireo

Kids Definition

Cinco de Mayo

noun

ˌsiŋ-kō-də-ˈmī-ō 

ˌsēŋ-kō-t͟hā-ˈmä-yō

: a Mexican and Mexican-American celebration held on May 5 in honor of the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862

Etymology

Spanish, "fifth of May"