Columbus Day

noun

Co·​lum·​bus Day kə-ˈləm-bəs- How to pronounce Columbus Day (audio)
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

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Social Reckoning will release in theaters over Columbus Day weekend next year. Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025 On that Friday, more than 6,400 flights were delayed and 470 canceled, with the Columbus Day travel weekend set to add pressure. Imran Khalid, Boston Herald, 27 Oct. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for Columbus Day

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Columbus Day was in 1892

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Cite this Entry

“Columbus Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Columbus%20Day. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

Columbus Day

noun
Co·​lum·​bus Day kə-ˈləm-bəs- How to pronounce Columbus Day (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on Columbus Day

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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