bank holiday

American  

noun

• bank holidays
  plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bank holidays
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bank holiday

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bank holiday

Human poo, food covered in maggots and a tent "full of kit" were left behind at a south Wales national park over the bank holiday weekend.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

This week's numbers have not been officially released due to Monday's bank holiday but prison sources say vacancies have fallen once again.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Areas of heavy rain and showers are expected to sweep across parts of the UK on each day of the weekend, which is a bank holiday for many.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

South-eastern parts of the UK might get lucky again on bank holiday Monday.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

But you, Mr. Hippanthigh, you were the high-falutin' angel with a new brass halo, out on its bank holiday.

From Plays of Near & Far by Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, Baron Dunsany