eve
noun
the evening or the day before a holiday, church festival, or any date or event.
eve
1 American
[eev]
/ iv /
noun
-
eves
plural
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) the evening or the day before a holiday, church festival, or any date or event.
Christmas Eve; the eve of an execution.
-
the period preceding or leading up to any event, crisis, etc..
on the eve of the American Revolution.
-
the evening.
Eve
2
American
[eev]
/ iv /
noun
-
(in the Bible) the name of the first woman: wife of Adam and progenitor of the human race.
-
a female given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “life.”
Eve
1
British
/ iːv /
noun
eve
2
British
/ iːv /
noun
-
-
the evening or day before some special event or festival
-
( capital when part of a name )
New Year's Eve
-
-
the period immediately before an event
on the eve of civil war
-
an archaic word for evening
Eve
Cultural
eve
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of eve
1200–50; Middle English; variant of even 2
Explanation
An eve is the day — or night — just before some event. You might call the day before your birthday your "birthday eve." Some holidays are well-known for having the proceeding days distinguished as eves: many of us celebrate New Year's Eve, others gather for meals on Christmas Eve or Passover Eve, and the word "Halloween" comes from "All Hallow's Eve." The word eve is sometimes also a shortened form of evening, the last part of the day: "It stays light so late on a summer's eve."
Vocabulary lists containing eve
Scrabble: Palindrome Words
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3-letter words, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On the eve of his visit, Rubio described Ecuador as "one of our closest security partners in the region, and I think there's more we can do with them."
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Literally on the eve of trial, he filed for bankruptcy, thereby pausing the lawsuit,” Wright wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Chinese President Xi Jinping probably doesn’t want a crisis on the eve of his September trip to Washington, but you never know.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
"Things have happened really fast," said Werro, on the eve of Thursday evening's Diamond League meeting in Zurich.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
He had been sitting relaxed between them, because he was tired and unhappy, yet now he drew himself up and met his captain in the eve.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
This time the action takes place on New Year’s Eve, but let’s tally the gift bounty anyway.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
The movie, starring Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea and Maisie Richardson-Sellers, follows the story of a young woman who can bring spirits into the mortal world but is herself haunted.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Eve shares the screen with Lin Shaye, who returns once again to play Elise Rainier, a character who fans consider the heart of the franchise.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
A new collection of Eve Babitz’s largely unsent correspondence, “Too L.A.,” resurrects the cult writer’s singular voice — and revelry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
For tradition had long decreed that a bad dream on any New Year’s Eve was an omen of bad tomorrows.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
Up All Night‘s” epilogue considers the post-pandemic remnants of the glamorous, somewhat gluttonous eves of yore and the effects that smartphones, social media and streaming have had on the art of going out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Norway on Tuesday introduced a 10-person limit for gatherings at private homes, although the number will be increased to 20 on Christmas and New Year’s eves.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 9, 2021
“Umbrellas were useless,” reported The Times, “the overflow from eves, awning and other projections were miniature Niagaras.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2017
Games occur in practice gyms, or intramural gyms, or gym-gyms, or in the real thing on game eves.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 29, 2017
His mother’s eves watered when she saw the bandage.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
