legal holiday

American

noun

a public holiday established by law, during which certain work, government business, etc., is restricted.

legal holiday British

noun

Also called (Canadian): statutory holiday. Brit equivalent: bank holiday. any of several weekdays which are observed as national holidays

"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 legal holiday

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

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:

legal holiday

Washington could become the first state in the U.S. to make Lunar New Year a paid legal holiday.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2023

President Ronald Regan signed Dr. King’s birthday into federal law in 1983, but by 1990, Montana, New Hampshire and Arizona still had not made the day a legal holiday.

From New York Times ● Jun. 18, 2022

By 1973, King’s hometown of Atlanta had designated the day as a legal holiday.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 24, 2021

Although King was assassinated in 1968, legislation designating the third Monday in January—near his Jan. 15 birthday—as a legal holiday to honor him did not pass until 1983.

From Time ● Jan. 13, 2017

All elections to take place on one day, such day to be made a legal holiday and all premises licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors to be closed.

From British Socialism An Examination of Its Doctrines, Policy, Aims and Practical Proposals by Barker, J. Ellis

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