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• D-day
  D-day

  noun

  the day, usually unspecified, set for the beginning of a planned attack.
• D-Day
  D-Day

  The code name for the first day of a military attack, especially the American and British invasion of German-occupied France during World War II on June 6, 1944 (see invasion of Normandy). This marked the beginning of the victory of the Allies in Europe. Germany surrendered less than a year later.

D-day

American  

[dee-day] / ˈdiˌdeɪ /

Or D-Day

noun

1. Military. the day, usually unspecified, set for the beginning of a planned attack.

2. June 6, 1944, the day of the invasion of western Europe by Allied forces in World War II.

3. Informal. any day of special significance, as one marking an important event or goal.

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D-day British  

noun

1. the day, June 6, 1944, on which the Allied invasion of Europe began

2. the day on which any large-scale operation is planned to start

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D-Day Cultural  

1. The code name for the first day of a military attack, especially the American and British invasion of German-occupied France during World War II on June 6, 1944 (see invasion of Normandy). This marked the beginning of the victory of the Allies in Europe. Germany surrendered less than a year later.

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Etymology

Origin of D-day

First recorded in 1918; D (for day ) + day; the same pattern as H-hour

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

D-day D-Day

“When Eisenhower was passing on the baton of leadership at the inauguration for JFK, JFK asked, ‘What gave you the edge on D-day?’

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

In the film, Scott’s Stagg arrives at Southwark House from Dunstable four days before D-day is planned.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

“In the D-day sequence at the end, there are various real-life shots of the soldiers landing on the beaches,” Maras says.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

“Pressure,” the new World War II movie from director Anthony Maras and writer David Haig, is a hyperfocused look at the days leading up to D-day with a special focus on the weather.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Danny Akee always seemed to have a funny story to tell, even about D-day on Saipan.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

Eisenhower led the US war effort against Nazi Germany, commanding the D-Day landings that launched the phase of conflict leading to Adolf Hitler's defeat.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

On the eve of D-Day, a soldier confided to the journalist A.J.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Two months after D-Day, in August 1944, Peter Ortiz led an ambush against Nazi forces in the French Alps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Normandy veteran Kenneth Hay, who survived being captured just weeks after D-Day and spent years educating children about World War Two, has died aged 101.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

He was in the war, too--he landed on D-Day and all--but I really think he hated the Army worse than the war.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger

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