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Synonyms

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.


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

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.

See Examples For:

Liberal Democrat MP Will Forster asked Sir Keir if his last act would be to declare a bank holiday if England wins the World Cup.

From BBC Jul. 15, 2026

James Webber, recycling and infrastructure manager at Vale of Glamorgan council, said the heatwave and bank holiday meant it was a "gold weekend" for Barry Island.

From BBC May 29, 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

A number of migrants who crossed the English Channel over the bank holiday weekend have been charged with illegal immigration offences, with some jailed.

From BBC May 27, 2026

It was rather like part of an English bank holiday.

From Simon Called Peter by Robert Keable

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