Mother's Day

American  

noun

1. a day, usually the second Sunday in May, set aside in honor of mothers.

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Mother's Day British  

noun

1. the second Sunday in May, observed as a day in honour of mothers

2. Also called: Mothering Sunday.  the fourth Sunday in Lent, when mothers traditionally receive presents from their children

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How does mothers-day compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Father's Day vs. Mother's Day

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mother's Day

Before the politics, before the outrage, she reached for the human story: the boy who couldn’t hug his mother on Mother’s Day, the young woman who wanted to have a baby.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,’ and names of family members.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

His warnings came as thousands of Indigenous women in traditional layered skirts marched through La Paz on Mother's Day in Bolivia, in support of striking transport workers.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

To celebrate Mother’s Day, the Trump administration launched the website moms.gov, presenting it as an effort to provide resources for new and expectant mothers.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

I used to hate Father’s Day, and now I hate Mother’s Day and I look forward to Father’s Day.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko