Easter

American  

[ee-ster] / ˈi stər /

noun

1. an annual Christian festival in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, as calculated according to tables based in Western churches on the Gregorian calendar and in Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar.

2. Also called Easter Sunday.  the day on which this festival is celebrated.

3. the Easter season; the week following Easter.

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Easter British  

/ ˈiːstə /

noun

1. the most important festival of the Christian Church, commemorating the Resurrection of Christ: falls on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox

2. Also called: Easter Sunday.   Easter Day.  the day on which this festival is celebrated

3. the period between Good Friday and Easter Monday

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Easter Cultural  

1. An important religious festival among Christians (see also Christian); it commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus after his Crucifixion. Easter is celebrated on a Sunday in spring, and the season of Easter, a time of rejoicing, continues for several weeks. The penitential season of Lent is a time of preparation for Easter.

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Usage

What is Easter? Easter is the holiday on which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion and death (observed on Good Friday). It is considered the most important Christian holiday. Easter is also widely observed in secular (nonreligious) ways and is often associated with rebirth and the start of springtime. Easter always occurs on a Sunday, and the day is sometimes called Easter Sunday. In religious contexts, Easter can also refer to the Easter season. Sometimes, this is considered to consist of Easter Sunday and the week after. Some branches of Christianity consider the Easter season to last for 50 days, until the day of Pentecost.

Other Word Forms

• post-Easter adjective
• pre-Easter noun

Etymology

Origin of Easter

First recorded before 900; Middle English ester, Old English ēastre; cognate with German Ostern; originally the name of a goddess and her festival; akin to east

Example Sentences

For his first Easter message, Pope Leo wrote, “Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue!”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The Transgender Day of Visibility is observed each year on March 31, which coincidentally fell on Easter Sunday in 2024.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Tucker Carlson caught this when he challenged Mr. Trump the day after Easter: “Who do you think you are?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

"People need an Easter free from threats and real progress toward peace, and Russia has a chance to avoid returning to hostilities after Easter," he added.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

This morning Dad has taken the liberty of delegating tasks through passive-aggressive Post-it notes hidden like Easter eggs all over the house.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman