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

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

The prime minister has given a heavy hint that there will be an extra bank holiday if England win the World Cup.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

They have agreed a two year pay deal that includes a 5% increase in basic pay, shift allowances backdated to 1 January, and a one-off bank holiday.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 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

But the peace of an ordinary drawing-room was a bank holiday compared with the Walkingshaws'.

From The Prodigal Father by Clouston, J. Storer (Joseph Storer)