holiday

hol·i·day | \ ˈhä-lə-ˌdā

, British usually ˈhä-lə-dē \

Definition of holiday

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : holy day an important Muslim holiday

2 : a day on which one is exempt from work specifically : a day marked by a general suspension of work in commemoration of an event will be closed for the July 4th holiday a national holiday plans for the holiday weekend

3 chiefly British : vacation —often used in the phrase on holidaygoing on holiday —often used in pluralspent the summer holidays in Spain

4 : a period of exemption or relief corporations enjoying a tax holiday

holiday

verb

holidayed; holidaying; holidays

Definition of holiday (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

: to take or spend a vacation or holiday (see holiday entry 1 sense 2) especially in travel or at a resort : vacation will holiday this year at the shore

Holiday

biographical name

Hol·i·day | \ ˈhä-lə-ˌdā

Definition of Holiday (Entry 3 of 3)

Eleanora 1915–1959 Billie American jazz singer

Other Words from holiday Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about holiday

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Examples of holiday in a Sentence

Noun July 4 is a national holiday in the U.S. The stock market is closed tomorrow because it's a holiday. She'll have four weeks' holiday next year. We're planning on taking a holiday in the Caribbean. Verb She likes holidaying in the Caribbean. saw kangaroos while holidaying in Australia

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The President of the United States and his favorite news channel actively working to turn the holiest of holidays into a secular, nationalist triumph. — Jared Yates Sexton, The New Republic, "The Cult of the Shining City Embraces the Plague," 25 Mar. 2020 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a series of pictures in honor of the holiday, including a never-before-seen image of Prince George and Princess Charlotte riding on their parents' backs. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Kate Middleton Celebrates Mother's Day with a Never-Before-Seen Photo of Princess Charlotte," 22 Mar. 2020 On Tuesday, the Chancellor unveiled a large package and a couple of exciting holidays. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "The United Kingdom Takes Shelter from the Coronavirus," 22 Mar. 2020 Residents hunkered down and traffic was light, similar to that of a holiday but minus the cheer. — Cnn's Theresa Waldrop And Augie Martin, CNN, "What San Francisco looks like on the first day of sheltering in place," 17 Mar. 2020 Factory activity usually halts ahead of the holiday and then starts up again right after it. — Jane Li, Quartz, "Coronavirus is taking a brutal toll on China’s economy," 16 Mar. 2020 Share this - Adiel Kaplan 8h ago / 4:31 PM UTC UPS workers see holiday shopping-level volume Online shopping has risen sharply around the country as people are encouraged to social distance because of coronavirus, say retail analysts. — NBC News, "ISIS publishes advice on how to avoid coronavirus," 14 Mar. 2020 Businesses from fireworks mega-stores to stands that pop up ahead of holidays don’t ask any further questions. — USA TODAY, "Mussel eco-tourism, Morgan Freeman, firework fix: News from around our 50 states," 14 Mar. 2020 Many of the Japanese visitors’ cancellations are for visits that would have taken place during late April’s Golden Week, a period of holidays in Japan. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "That Napa Valley winery corporate retreat? In the age of the coronavirus, forget it," 12 Mar. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Macey Ellison, 18, and her family, who were holidaying in Mallacoota, in the southeastern state of Victoria, took cover in a friend’s small boat for more than four hours as the fire threatened the town. — Rachel Pannett, WSJ, "‘We Were Freaking Out.’ Terrifying Fire Season Takes a Bad Turn in Australia.," 1 Jan. 2020 Check out the video above to see what makes some of your faves’ holidays the Blackest celebration of all time. — Danielle Young, Essence, "Celebrating The Holidays While Black Is A Blessing," 24 Dec. 2019 Ticking off yet another Caribbean island, Queen Elizabeth II visited Mustique (where William and Kate are currently rumoured to be holidaying) with her sister Princess Margaret in 1977. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Royals on Holiday! See Favorite Vacation Spots of Princess Diana, Meghan Markle and More," 26 July 2019 The stimulus measures include incentives for Thais to holiday in their country, as well as extra support for farmers, small businesses and the poor. — The Economist, "Business this week," 22 Aug. 2019 According to the Sun, the Derby County manager, who has been holidaying in France with his family, is set to meet Roman Abramovich on his yacht in St Tropez this week for contractual talks. — SI.com, "Chelsea to Offer Frank Lampard 3-Year Contract as Talks With Roman Abramovich Begin," 18 June 2019 The couple that holidays together must be real, right?! — Noelle Devoe, Seventeen, "A Complete Timeline of Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart's Relationship," 30 July 2018 The couple that holidays together must be real, right?! — Noelle Devoe, Seventeen, "A Complete Timeline of Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart's Relationship," 30 July 2018 Steve Paikin, a television host, told his fellow Canadians to holiday elsewhere. — The Economist, "To resist Trump, Canadians try local ketchup," 5 July 2018

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