national holiday
Americannoun
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a holiday that is observed throughout a nation.
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a holiday that is legally established by a national government rather than by a municipal or state government.
Etymology
Origin of national holiday
An Americanism dating back to 1865–70
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.
Memorial Day officially became a federal national holiday in 1971, and is now part of a nationwide annual celebration that also serves as the unofficial beginning of summer.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
If the YouTube interview was the turning point, the next big moment came on 15 March 2024, a national holiday marking the anniversary of Hungary's failed revolution in 1848.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
Closed Monday for a national holiday and briefly insulated from heavy selling elsewhere, the South Korean stock market reopened Tuesday to heavy losses.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026
Japanese markets will be closed for a national holiday on Monday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
It was a national holiday, and Sassur took Chandra and me into the village to see the fireworks.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
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.
