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

Keep an eye out on the website for any flash sales, which usually will happen around major travel holidays like Memorial Day and Travel Tuesday. —Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026

Mandalorian and Grogu opens in North America May 22, the beginning of the long Memorial Day weekend. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026

Due to snow and severe weather at high elevations, the road to the top of the summit is typically open from Memorial Day to September, making the window to witness the splendor of the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway small. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026

Those changes followed unruly Memorial Day crowds the year before that led to a state of emergency and safety concerns. —Laura Fay, CBS News, 22 Apr. 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
• microarray

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.