Bastille Day

American

noun

July 14, a national holiday of the French republic, commemorating the fall of the Bastille in 1789.

Bastille Day British

noun

(in France) an annual holiday on July 14, commemorating the fall of the Bastille

"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

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.

Macron notably made Trump the guest of Bastille Day celebrations in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

He has fond memories of attending France's Bastille Day celebrations during his first presidential term.

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2025

The lore has it that Trump saw the Bastille Day celebration in France in 2017 and has been agitating for one ever since.

From Salon • May 28, 2025

The first aerial sorties went up at midnight on Bastille Day, July 14.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2024

"Might one sing on Bastille Day?" she asked.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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