bank holiday
Americannoun
-
a weekday on which banks are closed by law; legal holiday.
-
British. a secular day on which banks are closed, obligations then falling due being performable on the following secular day.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bank holiday
First recorded in 1870–75
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.
They have agreed a two year pay deal that includes a 5% increase in basic pay, shift allowances backdated to 1 January, and a one-off bank holiday.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
The National Trust has asked people to be more considerate after a beauty spot was left covered in litter after the bank holiday weekend.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Almost 1,000 migrants crossed the English Channel over the bank holiday weekend, latest Home Office figures show.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Al Wallis, owner of the The Sandwich Bar in Looe, said the cost of living crisis had made it a challenging time but the influx of holidaymakers over the bank holiday "makes a big difference".
From BBC • May 26, 2026
It was bitter, though, that Christmas Day, as it drew on to evening, and night, became a sort of bank holiday, flat and stale.
From The Rainbow by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
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.
