noun
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an anniversary of the day of one's birth
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( as modifier )
birthday present
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the day on which a person was born
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any anniversary
Etymology
Origin of birthday
Explanation
Your birthday is the day of your birth! It’s the yearly anniversary that marks the day you were born. Not everyone celebrates, but a birthday is a good excuse for a party and cake. You can use birthday both to refer to the specific day of a baby's birth, and the annual marking of that day throughout the years that follow. Sometimes people talk about the birthday of a country, group, or even a building: "It's the art museum's fiftieth birthday next year." The Old English byrddæg originally referred to the celebration of a king or saint's birth, but over the years it was extended to include everyone.
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.
Whether it’s the birthday bouquet we buy, the roses we plant, the fragrances we use, we tend to think of flowers as decorative add-ons.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Cox hopes to mark his 80th birthday in June with a party in the UK, but fears his US commitments might make that tricky.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Babies age 6 months to 11 months and traveling internationally should get a dose, but should still get the standard two-dose series after their first birthday, the CDC says.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
Lady Beckham wished Brooklyn a happy birthday on social media last month, but her latest interview marks her first direct comment on the rift.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
This time, Kate, who had just celebrated her thirteenth birthday, joined them onstage.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
