Columbus Day
noun
Co·lum·bus Day
kə-ˈləm-bəs- 
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
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Several Columbus Day parades were either canceled — including one in New York City — or postponed due to the storm, according to The Weather Channel.
—
Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Many Native American advocates have voiced support for replacing Columbus Day with Native American Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day, to recognize the harmful impacts of colonialism on Native populations.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
On Friday, airlines told travelers to brace for delays over the Columbus Day holiday weekend due to staffing shortages.
—Lillian Rizzo,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
But because Columbus Day was a federal holiday, Congress was not in session, meaning that no legislation was passed by the deadline.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
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Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Many Native American advocates have voiced support for replacing Columbus Day with Native American Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day, to recognize the harmful impacts of colonialism on Native populations.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
On Friday, airlines told travelers to brace for delays over the Columbus Day holiday weekend due to staffing shortages.
—Lillian Rizzo,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
But because Columbus Day was a federal holiday, Congress was not in session, meaning that no legislation was passed by the deadline.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Columbus Day
Cite this Entry
“Columbus Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Columbus%20Day. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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Columbus Day
noun
Co·lum·bus Day
kə-ˈləm-bəs-
: 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
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