Juneteenth
Americannoun
Usage
What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is a U. S. holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the day (June 19, 1865) on which enslaved African Americans in Texas became some of the last enslaved people in the U. S. to be informed that slavery had been abolished. Juneteenth is also often observed as a time to commemorate the end of chattel slavery in the U. S. Observance of Juneteenth often involves celebratory events and gatherings, especially among African Americans. Observance of the day also often involves events and programs focused on education about and discussion of the legacy of slavery in the U. S., including the ongoing struggle to dismantle systemic racism in U. S. society. Juneteenth was adopted as a U. S. federal holiday in 2021, officially called Juneteenth National Independence Day. It is sometimes also called Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Black Independence Day. Visit our article to learn more about how Juneteenth is observed and celebrated.
Etymology
Origin of Juneteenth
First recorded in 1935–40; June + (nine)teenth
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.
—In the U.S., futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were both down 0.1% ahead of Monday’s return to trading following the Juneteenth holiday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
And so, over Juneteenth weekend nearly 200 members of the Rosenthal family descended on the Holiday Inn in Alexandria, a city of about 43,000 in the center of Louisiana.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
Nymex crude didn’t trade Friday because of Juneteenth, a federal holiday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
Haddock told Salon that he grew up celebrating Juneteenth as a sort of church day, communing with his family and community.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
Tori had come back out a few moments later, saying that Brandon wasn’t feeling well and was going to skip the Juneteenth Festival.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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