Memorial Day

noun

1

: May 30 formerly observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S. in remembrance of war dead

2

: the last Monday in May observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S.

3

: confederate memorial day

Examples of Memorial Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Home Depot is flat since Memorial Day, while Lowes has fallen more than 6% in that time. — Frank Holland, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

After steadily increasing after the Covid-19 pandemic, travel over the Memorial Day and July 4th holidays was projected to remain essentially the same as last year’s record highs, according to AAA. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026

Gauthier suspected that the recent Memorial Day gathering would be the last one. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered the deadliest time of year on the road, because of an increase in impaired, distracted and reckless driving. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Memorial Day

• andromache
• bioassay
• cabriolet
• cercariae
• communique
• companionway
• compositae
• decussate
• examinee
• fabaceae
• glyphosate
• gramineae

Kids Definition

Memorial Day

noun

1

: May 30 once observed as a legal holiday in honor of those who died in war

2

: the last Monday in May observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S.