holiday - Definition | Dictionary definition of holiday

Definition of holiday

Nouns

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

"we took a short holiday in Puerto Rico"

Synonyms:: vacation

Types:: show 5 types...; hide 5 types...; half-term
a short vacation about halfway through a school term; vac
informal term for vacation; field day, outing, picnic
a day devoted to an outdoor social gathering; honeymoon
a holiday taken by a newly married couple; paid vacation
a vacation from work by an employee with pay granted

Type of:: leisure, leisure time
time available for ease and relaxation

a day on which work is suspended by law or custom

"no mail is delivered on federal holidays"

"it's a good thing that New Year's was a holiday because everyone had a hangover"

Types:: show 35 types...; hide 35 types...; half-holiday
a day on which half is free from work or duty; feast day, fete day
a day designated for feasting; Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, Rosh Hashanah, Rosh Hashona, Rosh Hashonah
(Judaism) a solemn Jewish feast day celebrated on the 1st or 1st and 2nd of Tishri; noted for the blowing of the shofar; movable feast, moveable feast
a religious holiday that falls on different dates in different years; Circumcision, Feast of the Circumcision, January 1
(Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Church) feast day celebrating the circumcision of Jesus; celebrated on January 1st; Christmas, Christmas Day, Dec 25, Xmas
a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland; Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day
fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag; Id al-Fitr
a Muslim day of feasting at the end of Ramadan; Feast of Sacrifice, Id al-Adha
the 10th day of Dhu'l-Hijja; all Muslims attend a service in the mosques and those who are not pilgrims perform a ritual slaughter of a sheep (commemorating God's ransom of Abraham's son from sacrifice) and give at least a third of the meat to charity; holy day, religious holiday
a day specified for religious observance; fast day
a day designated for fasting; Christian holy day
a religious holiday for Christians; Jewish holy day
a religious holiday for Jews; Dormition, Feast of Dormition
celebration in the Eastern Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary's being taken up into heaven when her earthly life ended; corresponds to the Assumption in the Roman Catholic Church and is also celebrated on August 15th; Christmas Eve, Dec 24
the day before Christmas; legal holiday, national holiday, public holiday
authorized by law and limiting work or official business; January 1, New Year's, New Year's Day
the first day of the year; Martin Luther King Day, Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday
observed on the Monday closest to January 15; Presidents' Day
the third Monday in February; commemorates both presidents Lincoln and Washington; Decoration Day, Memorial Day
legal holiday in the United States, last Monday in May; commemorates the members of the United States armed forces who were killed in war; Fourth of July, Independence Day, July 4
a legal holiday in the United States; Labor Day
first Monday in September in the United States and Canada; Columbus Day, Discovery Day, October 12
a legal holiday commemorating the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus; Christmas, Christmas Day, Dec 25, Xmas
a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland; Boxing Day
first weekday after Christmas; bank holiday
any of several weekdays when banks are closed; a legal holiday in Britain; Commonwealth Day, Empire day, May 24
British, anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth; Dominion Day, July 1
a legal holiday in Canada commemorating receiving Dominion status in 1867; 14 July, Bastille Day
a legal holiday in France celebrating the storming of the Paris bastille in 1789; Armistice Day, November 11, Veterans Day, Veterans' Day
a legal holiday in the United States; formerly Armistice Day but called Veterans' Day since 1954; Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day
fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag; Victoria Day
a public holiday in Canada on the Monday on or before May 24th; Poppy Day, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday
the Sunday nearest to November 11 when those who died in World War I and World War II are commemorated; Ramanavami
Hindu lunar holiday (on the 9th day of Caitra) to celebrate the birth of Rama; Mesasamkranti
Hindu solar holiday at the beginning of the new astrological year when the sun enters the constellation Aries