bank holiday

American

noun

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.

bank holiday British

noun

(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.

Iran is in the middle of an extended weekend, with the authorities declaring Wednesday a bank holiday at the last minute, citing the need to save energy during the cold weather.

From Barron's • Jan. 1, 2026

Schools, universities and public institutions were closed across the country on Wednesday after a bank holiday was declared by authorities in an apparent effort to quell the unrest.

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026

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

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

It comes after members of the RMT union walked out during the last August bank holiday weekend over allegations CrossCountry had failed to honour agreements on staffing, safety, and pay.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

A bank holiday means presumably a day which bankers regard as holy.

From Heretics by Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023