day

noun \ ˈdā \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

Examples: day in a Sentence

Definition of day

1 a : the time of light between one night and the next

the shortest day of the year

b : daylight 1

woke up at the break of day

c : daytime

sleeps during the day and works at night

2 astronomy : the period of rotation of a planet (such as earth) or a moon on its axis

the length of one day on Mars

3 : the mean solar day of 24 hours beginning at midnight by mean time

open seven days a week

the first day of every month

Take one pill two times a day.

4 : a specified day or date

their wedding day

the day of her birth

5 : a specified time or period : age

in grandfather's day

—often used in plural

the old days

the days of sailing ships

6 : the conflict or contention of the day

played hard and won the day

7 : the time established by usage or law for work, school, or business

starts his day with a cup of coffee

after a long day at school

We have a busy day tomorrow.

— day after day

: for an indefinite or seemingly endless number of days

wore the same pants day after day

— day in, day out

: for an indefinite number of successive days

does the same thing at work day in, day out

See day defined for English-language learners

See day defined for kids

Examples of day in a Sentence

We're open seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Payment is due on the first day of every month.
“What day of the week is the 28th?” “It's a Friday.”
He spent five days in the hospital.
She left on Thursday and came back four days later.
That was the happiest day of my life.
Parenthood gets better every day.
The office is closed for the day.
She works eight hours a day.
It costs 10 dollars a day to park there.

Recent Examples of day from the Web

This year, the capacity will be increased and fans will be able to claim parking passes for specific days on the Baltimore Ravens.com/TrainingCamp Web Site or the team’s mobile app.

— peter schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Schmuck: With Ravens waiting in the wings, this is perfect year to punt early on the Orioles," 7 July 2018
Smith’s honeyed tenor absolutely glistened — overshadowed only by a falsetto for days.

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "Review: Did Sam Smith and his sad songs find a way to send Charlotte fans home happy?," 7 July 2018
The Fraustos instantly recognized Butler as their dog Dodger, and went to the Best Friends shelter in Los Angeles that same day to reunite with the dog.

— kelli bender, PEOPLE.com, "Dog Missing Two Years Reunites with Family After Pet Parents Spot Him on TV Adoption Segment," 6 July 2018
The detectives celebrated the milestone with the family, visiting for hours that day.

— ashley luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A triple homicide, a son left behind: How a Milwaukee police detective built a trusting bond with a survivor of violence," 6 July 2018
Tickets for day visitors are $15 per ride or $40 for three rides.

— caroline blackmon, Detroit Free Press, "This is where you'll find Michigan's largest zip line," 6 July 2018
Circumstantial evidence suggested that such treatment could go on for days, with the children not even been unchained to go to the toilet.

— dipesh navsaria, Houston Chronicle, "What parents should know to prevent — and deal with — bug bites," 6 July 2018
Ten years later, Louis Cartier would open the Cartier shop on Rue de la Paix, a fin de siècle masterpiece that no one dared criticize, and to this day reigning as queen over that illustrious avenue.

— lynn yaeger, Vogue, "Cartier’s New High Jewelry Collection Is a Banquet of Color," 6 July 2018
Sonta is really taking me back to those days of working as a hostess in the family restaurant with this track, and crushing on the boy who worked at the fireworks stand.

— refinery29.com, "New Music This Week: Ella Mai's Remix, Mala Rodríguez's Feminist Jam, & More," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'day.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of day

Middle English, from Old English dæg; akin to Old High German tag day

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

day Synonyms

Day

biographical name \ ˈdā \

Definition of Day

Clarence Shepard, Jr. 1874–1935 American author

Day

biographical name

Definition of Day

Thomas 1748–1789 English author

Day

biographical name

Definition of Day

William Rufus 1849–1923 American statesman and jurist

DAY Defined for English Language Learners

day

noun

Definition of day for English Language Learners

: a period of 24 hours beginning at midnight : one of the seven time periods that make up a week
: the time of light between one night and the next : the part of the day when light from the sun can be seen
: the part of the day when people are usually most active and when most businesses are open