picnic

1 of 2

noun

pic·​nic ˈpik-(ˌ)nik How to pronounce picnic (audio)
often attributive
1
: an excursion or outing with food usually provided by members of the group and eaten in the open
also : the food provided for a picnic
2
a
: a pleasant or amusingly carefree experience
I don't expect being married to be a picnicJosephine Pinckney
b
: an easy task or feat
3
: a shoulder of pork with much of the butt removed
picnicky adjective

picnic

2 of 2

verb

picnicked; picnicking

intransitive verb

: to go on a picnic : eat in picnic fashion
picnicker noun

Examples of picnic in a Sentence

Noun We decided to have a picnic on the beach. We ate our picnic by the lake. The annual school picnic is this weekend. This winter is a picnic compared with last year's. Verb We picnicked in the park.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Bring a picnic, blanket, swim goggles, and games to the beach, and set up a tent or canopy where everyone can camp throughout the day. Alesandra Dubin, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024 My favorite luxe amenity is a beach picnic, where our staff packs a pink Yeti cooler with snacks and beverages. Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 The planned site—also called the Happy Birthday Circle—would feature a pavilion, a memorial and a picnic grove. Kellie B. Gormly, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 The scents were from whatever the party next to you brought for a picnic dinner, or a furtive puff of marijuana. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Jim Manley, the owner of The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana, recently developed an activity called Respite on the Ranch, where staff take guests on horseback to a remote, cell-reception-free spot and leave them with a hammock, a picnic cooler, a blanket, books, and a walkie-talkie. Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024 Barbie Style posts range from the day-to-day — picking out a Christmas tree or enjoying a picnic in the park complete with friends and a charcuterie board — to ultra-glamorous. Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 After the event, have a picnic, take a hike or visit the pond. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 At picnics, at intimate family dinners, and in the kitchen after the guests have left. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
The remaining mounds in Wisconsin are protected by state law, and the Department of Natural Resources states that visitors should not walk over or picnic on burial mounds. Nurre and others, tribal and nontribal, have dedicated much of their life's work to preserving and protecting these mounds. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2024 Its many notable features include an outfield-adjacent lawn where fans can watch a game while picnicking. Fred A. Bernstein, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Baker Beach is a great option for picnicking with your family or taking a hike with your dog, as there's a lovely trail along the cliffs that connect to the beach. Adeline Duff, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2024 And families can picnic on tacos, quesadillas and burritos for purchase at the Nacho Bizness food truck. Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024 On Christmas morning, instead of gathering around a tree and opening presents, the three of us would load our car with a cooler full of chapatis wrapped in tinfoil and thermoses packed with sabji and drive to one of America’s natural wonders to picnic. Meena Venkataramanan, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2023 With a captain and boat on call for every villa, guests often choose to explore or picnic at secluded beaches on neighboring islands and cays like Cayos Zapatillas, part of the Bastimentos National Marine Park. John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2023 Wright often posts photos of the two enjoying hikes together, especially with their dogs, and surfing while picnicking on the beach. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 2 Oct. 2023 Then, the federal government sold it, the dam and what would become parkland surrounding it to Fairfax County’s Park Authority, when about 101,000 visitors were already picnicking or fishing there every year. Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'picnic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German or French; German Picknick, from French pique-nique

First Known Use

Noun

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of picnic was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near picnic

Cite this Entry

“Picnic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picnic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

picnic

1 of 2 noun
pic·​nic ˈpik-(ˌ)nik How to pronounce picnic (audio)
1
: a meal eaten outdoors often during a trip away from home
2
a
: a pleasant or carefree experience
breaking a leg is no picnic
b
: an easy task
3
: a shoulder of pork that is often smoked and boned
picnicky adjective

picnic

2 of 2 verb
picnicked; picnicking
: to go on a picnic : eat as if on a picnic
picnicker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on picnic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!