Halloween
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What is Halloween? Halloween is a holiday on October 31 that’s essentially a celebration of spooky and scary stuff, like ghosts, witches, monsters, and haunted houses. It’s traditionally celebrated by dressing in costumes, decorating with things like jack-o’-lanterns (carved pumpkins) and fake spiderwebs, and trick or treating—going door to door to collect candy or other treats from people who are giving it out. The trick part of trick or treat is a reference to the pranks that kids sometimes play on Halloween. Halloween is especially celebrated by children, but teens and adults commonly celebrate it, too, such as by having parties (often costume parties), watching scary movies, giving out candy to kids, eating some of that candy, and then eating some of the candy that kids bring home. Halloween is a secular (nonreligious) holiday, but its name has roots in the Christian holiday Allhallows, better known as All Saints’ Day. Another name for Halloween is Allhallows Eve (the night before Allhallows). Halloween is commonly used as a modifier in phrases like Halloween costume, Halloween party, Halloween candy, and Halloween night. Example: Don’t give me this trunk or treat stuff—I want a classic Halloween, with trick or treating and haunted houses and my neighbor disguising himself as a stuffed scarecrow so he can pop up and scare kids when they try to take more than one piece of candy from the bowl.
Etymology
Origin of Halloween
First recorded in 1550–60; (All)hallow(s) + e(v)en 2
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.
These days her Halloween costumes are often elaborate and prosthetic-heavy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
As a self-proclaimed Hallo-Queen, Monáe is hosting several Halloween events in Los Angeles this year, including a horror classic for Cinespia for the third year in a row.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Some autumnal ale: It can be delightful when craft breweries churn out seasonally inspired flavors, but what happens when we start being served pumpkin beer in August, or Christmas beer before Halloween?
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
Devoted Cliffe fans have dressed as him for Halloween, donning khaki pants, a blue button-down and Asics sneakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Twig had insisted on dressing as an evil witch/candy cane hybrid for Halloween, even though nobody really celebrates Halloween in France, and Twig’s mom said she was being embarrassing.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
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