thanksgiving

[ thangks-giv-ing ]

noun

1. the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God.
2. an expression of thanks, especially to God.
3. a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.
4. a day set apart for giving thanks to God.
5. (initial capital letter) Thanksgiving Day.

thanksgiving

/ ˈθæŋksˌɡɪvɪŋ; θæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of giving thanks
2. 1. an expression of thanks to God
   2. a public act of religious observance or a celebration in acknowledgment of divine favours

Other Words From

• pre-Thanks·giving adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of thanksgiving¹

First recorded in 1525–35; thank + -s ³ + give ( def ) + -ing ¹( def )

Example Sentences

When the SBA posted its most recent database update the day before Thanksgiving, it had dropped another 294,000 loans.

From ProPublica

The day before Thanksgiving was a milestone for officials at Baltimore-Washington International Marshall, the region’s busiest airport, with more than 31,000 passengers departing.

From Washington Post

The Thanksgiving long weekend was the first state holiday since the pandemic began when department employees were not expected to work.

From ProPublica

This year certainly had its highlights, for many—first vacations or big-screen movies or Thanksgivings with family since March 2020.

From Time

It’s Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend when I sit down to write this column.

From Washington Blade

But Bush has done exactly that, filing the papers for BH Global Aviation with the SEC right around Thanksgiving.

From The Daily Beast

Her staff had "lots of meetings" over Thanksgiving break, Feinstein said.

From The Daily Beast

Fans of the series will flock to see ‘Mockingjay’ this Thanksgiving weekend.

From The Daily Beast

This year, the dispensary is launching its sale on Thanksgiving, carrying over into Black Friday.

From The Daily Beast

Now that giving thanks to God no longer plays a prominent role in American civic life, Whom or What do we thank on Thanksgiving?

From The Daily Beast

I will praise thy name continually, and will praise it with thanksgiving, and my prayer was heard.

From Project Gutenberg

His largesses were abundant, and the uproar of vehement thanksgiving, was ever on the watch from the venal multitude.

From Project Gutenberg

Again the mother prays; this time not in sorrow, but from a heart filled with thanksgiving.

From Project Gutenberg

If ever a heartfelt thanksgiving went up to Heaven one from me will ascend to-night.

From Project Gutenberg

We left for Kansas City and was there over the Thanksgiving holidays.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Thanksgiving

What does thanksgiving mean?

The word thanksgiving means the act of expressing or feeling thankfulness.

In other words, it’s the act of giving thanks for what you’re grateful for.

This sense of the word is often used in a religious context. For example, a prayer of thanksgiving involves praying to express gratitude for the blessings in one’s life.

The word thanksgiving is also used as the name of a national holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada. It’s officially known as Thanksgiving Day but is commonly just called Thanksgiving. It is observed in the U.S. on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada on the second Monday of October.

Today, the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. is traditionally celebrated with family gatherings and a large meal, especially one that includes a roast turkey. Other traditional Thanksgiving dishes include mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, and pumpkin pie. The association with eating turkey has led to the informal nickname Turkey Day.

Example: A lot of people forget that Thanksgiving is not just a time for gathering and eating but for actual thanksgiving—acknowledging all of the things we have to be thankful for.

Where does thanksgiving come from?

The first records of the word thanksgiving come from around 1530. The word has been used as the name of a holiday since the 1600s. The first records of the term Thanksgiving Day come from around the 1670s.

The history of the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. is often traced back to the 1621 harvest meal that is believed to have been attended by Pilgrim colonists in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, and members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Native Americans. While historians do believe that the two groups were in fact present together at that time, many of the details surrounding their relations and the nature of the meeting have been mythologized. There is certainly no evidence that the event was seen as the start of a holiday tradition at the time.

The first official national Thanksgiving holiday was set by President George Washington in 1789, but it was a one-time event. It wasn’t until 1863 that Thanksgiving was officially declared as an annual national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln. But the holiday was not connected to the history of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag until later. The holiday remained on the fourth Thursday of November until 1939, when it was moved to the third Thursday of November. It went back to being on the fourth Thursday in 1942.

Thanksgiving became an annual national holiday in Canada in 1879 and was set as the second Monday in October in 1957. Earlier celebrations of Thanksgiving in Canada were inspired by the U.S. holiday. Today, it’s often celebrated similarly, with family gatherings and large meals.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for thanksgiving?

• giving thanks
• thankfulness
• gratitude
• gratefulness

What are some synonyms for Thanksgiving?

• Thanksgiving Day
• Turkey Day (informal)

What are some words that share a root or word element with thanksgiving? 

• thanks
• giving
• thanksgiver
• Friendsgiving
• almsgiving

What are some words that often get used in discussing thanksgiving?

• thankful
• grateful
• blessing
• holiday
• day
• November
• turkey

How is thanksgiving used in real life?

Thanksgiving is most commonly used as the name of the holiday. When used in a general sense, it is often used in a religious context.

6 #Thanksgiving Myths and the #Wampanoag Side of the Story

Did you know: "The Thanksgiving Day Celebration Originated From a Massacre?"https://t.co/Z8kZvwnm2e

Article in @IndianCountry by @VinceSchilling pic.twitter.com/VfEDO1WKdW

— Vincent Schilling (@VinceSchilling) November 14, 2017

As David Silverman writes in his new book "This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving," much of that story is a myth riddled with historical inaccuracies. https://t.co/Mjf1nF99NX

— Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMag) November 27, 2019

I’ve never known a happy person who lives without a deep spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude. It’s an attribute and way of life worth developing. Happy Thanksgiving!! So much to be thankful for.

— Matt Thurmond (@MattThurmond) November 23, 2017

 

Try using thanksgiving!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of the general sense of thanksgiving?

A. gratitude
B. thankfulness
C. supplication
D. gratefulness