Synonyms

holy day

American

noun

a consecrated day or religious festival, especially one other than Sunday.

holy day British

noun

a day on which a religious festival is observed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of holy day

holiday

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.

The attack, which happened on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, was the highest-profile antisemitic incident to hit the U.K. since the start of the war in Gaza.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025

Police prevented demonstrators gathering outside Broadcasting House because of its close proximity to a synagogue and a risk there could be "serious disruption" as congregants attend services on the Jewish holy day.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2025

Ash Wednesday has been a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church — a mandatory day of church attendance — but it’s not obligatory in the Episcopal Church.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024

Friday is the traditional Islamic holy day, and Muslims break their fast at sunset during Ramadan.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2023

In a few hours, once the dawn breaks anew, citizens will gather to begin their observance of the Bonding, a holy day in which we celebrate our connection to the gods of this land.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023