American Dictionary

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Definition holiday in American English

holiday noun

noun
/ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ/

Differences between American and British English: holiday

In the U.S., a holiday is a single day fixed by law when people do not have to go to school or work: I forgot that Monday’s a holiday. In both the U.S. and the U.K., this can also be called a public holiday, but the usual British word is bank holiday. When American speakers say the holidays or the holiday season, they mean the period of time that includes Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Day: Have you got any special plans for the holidays? In the U.K., holiday, often called someone’s holidays, usually means a period of time when you do not go to school or work, and usually you go to a place away from home to relax: Where are you going for your holiday? Americans call this a vacation.

1

a day that is a celebration of something special, on which you do not have to work or go to school

Example

May 1st is a holiday in many European countries.

Synonyms and related words
Definition holiday in American English