Easter

[ee-ster]

noun

1. an annual Christian festival in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, as calculated according to tables based in Western churches on the Gregorian calendar and in Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar.

2. Also called Easter Sunday. the day on which this festival is celebrated.

3. the Easter season; the week following Easter.

Easter

/ ˈiːstə /

noun

1. the most important festival of the Christian Church, commemorating the Resurrection of Christ: falls on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox

2. Also called: Easter Sunday.  Easter Day. the day on which this festival is celebrated

3. the period between Good Friday and Easter Monday

Easter

1. An important religious festival among Christians (see also Christian); it commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus after his Crucifixion. Easter is celebrated on a Sunday in spring, and the season of Easter, a time of rejoicing, continues for several weeks. The penitential season of Lent is a time of preparation for Easter.

Other Word Forms

• post-Easter adjective
• pre-Easter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Easter¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English ester, Old English ēastre; cognate with German Ostern; originally the name of a goddess and her festival; akin to east

Word History and Origins

Origin of Easter¹

Old English ēastre, after a Germanic goddess Eostre; related to Old High German ōstarūn Easter, Old Norse austr to the _east , Old Slavonic ustru like summer

Example Sentences

The next edition will take place on Easter Saturday, 4 April 2026.

From BBC

Grant Thornton, among the UK's top 100 graduate employers, said it used to take from September to Easter to hire new graduates but now most jobs are filled by the new year.

From BBC

On the morning after Easter, there lies a movie monster, star of the sequel “Alligator II,” stretched out on a flatbed truck.

From Los Angeles Times

He adds that there will be a few Easter eggs for fans but he admits he can't say much more about that just yet.

From BBC

A few Swifties have speculated that her newfound passion for sourdough might be an Easter egg pointing to a Super Bowl appearance: Sourdough Sam, the 49ers mascot, the stadium in Santa Clara next February.

From Salon

When To Use

What is Easter?

Easter is the holiday on which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion and death (observed on Good Friday). It is considered the most important Christian holiday.Easter is also widely observed in secular (nonreligious) ways and is often associated with rebirth and the start of springtime.Easter always occurs on a Sunday, and the day is sometimes called Easter Sunday.In religious contexts, Easter can also refer to the Easter season. Sometimes, this is considered to consist of Easter Sunday and the week after. Some branches of Christianity consider the Easter season to last for 50 days, until the day of Pentecost.