eve
noun
the evening or the day before a holiday, church festival, or any date or event.
eve
1 American
[eev]
/ iv /
noun
-
eves
plural
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) the evening or the day before a holiday, church festival, or any date or event.
Christmas Eve; the eve of an execution.
-
the period preceding or leading up to any event, crisis, etc..
on the eve of the American Revolution.
-
the evening.
Eve
2
American
[eev]
/ iv /
noun
-
(in the Bible) the name of the first woman: wife of Adam and progenitor of the human race.
-
a female given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “life.”
Eve
1
British
/ iːv /
noun
eve
2
British
/ iːv /
noun
-
-
the evening or day before some special event or festival
-
( capital when part of a name )
New Year's Eve
-
-
the period immediately before an event
on the eve of civil war
-
an archaic word for evening
Eve
Cultural
eve
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of eve
1200–50; Middle English; variant of even 2
Explanation
An eve is the day — or night — just before some event. You might call the day before your birthday your "birthday eve." Some holidays are well-known for having the proceeding days distinguished as eves: many of us celebrate New Year's Eve, others gather for meals on Christmas Eve or Passover Eve, and the word "Halloween" comes from "All Hallow's Eve." The word eve is sometimes also a shortened form of evening, the last part of the day: "It stays light so late on a summer's eve."
Vocabulary lists containing eve
Scrabble: Palindrome Words
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3-letter words, List 2
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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:
On the eve of the pope's South America tour, the US-based nonprofit Bishop Accountability presented a list in Lima of 77 members of the Peruvian clergy it said had been publicly accused of abusing minors.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
That is 500 more cells available at any one time than was the case on the eve of the programme beginning in October.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
Leaders from across the political spectrum have condemned the event, which will fall on the eve of Kristallnacht.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
But Donald, a three-time defensive player of the year, did so on the eve of the opener and did not travel for the first game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
It is the eve of Shabbat, and we feel fortunate to be able to celebrate our day of rest with hope and joy.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
In addition to its current portfolio, Embraer plans to launch in the coming years an electric air taxi for urban use through its subsidiary, Eve Air Mobility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
During the week of Christmas, tides are expected to reach 7.5 to 8.5 feet, with the highest forecast to arrive in the mornings and peaking around Christmas Eve.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
And Kate Nash has written a track called Christmas Eve, external, which tells the story of the night her grandparents met in Dublin.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Both sides described Rinderknecht working as an Uber driver on New Year’s Eve before parking and hiking to a clearing known as Hidden Buddha.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
This year, Christmas Eve fell on a Tuesday, and in the Vanderbeeker tradition, Christmas Eve dinner rivaled Thanksgiving dinner in scope and quality.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Up All Night‘s” epilogue considers the post-pandemic remnants of the glamorous, somewhat gluttonous eves of yore and the effects that smartphones, social media and streaming have had on the art of going out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Norway on Tuesday introduced a 10-person limit for gatherings at private homes, although the number will be increased to 20 on Christmas and New Year’s eves.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 9, 2021
“Umbrellas were useless,” reported The Times, “the overflow from eves, awning and other projections were miniature Niagaras.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2017
Other Christian and pagan holidays historically included celebrations that began the day before, and some European countries still celebrate other eves.
From Slate ● Dec. 21, 2012
Then her eves hardened and her voice grew a little surly.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
