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Synonyms

bank holiday

American  

noun

  1. a weekday on which banks are closed by law; legal holiday.

  2. British. a secular day on which banks are closed, obligations then falling due being performable on the following secular day.

bank holiday British  

noun

  1. (in Britain) any of several weekdays on which banks are closed by law and which are observed as national holidays

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

It was meant to be the "first of many" celebrations for Lauren Macpherson, who had spent the August bank holiday at a music festival in London.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

A day can be appointed as a bank holiday in Scotland by royal proclamation.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

The authorities have not linked the bank holiday to the protests.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

The streets of Tehran were calm early on Wednesday, a change from the usual chaotic and choking traffic, with the authorities having announced a bank holiday with just a day's notice.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

Ostende is attractive, save on the August bank holiday, when the trippers come from London; then it looks like Margate or Southend so far as its crowds are concerned, and accordingly is frightful.

From The Automobilist Abroad by Mansfield, M. F. (Milburg Francisco)

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.