Labor Day

American  

noun

1. (in the U.S.) a legal holiday, commonly the first Monday in September, in honor of labor.

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Labor Day British  

noun

1. (in the US and Canada) a public holiday in honour of labour, held on the first Monday in September

2. (in Australia) a public holiday observed on different days in different states

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Labor Day Cultural  

1. A national holiday in the United States and Canada in honor of working people. Labor Day is observed on the first Monday in September.

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Etymology

Origin of Labor Day

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

How does labor-day compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• May Day vs. Labor Day

Example Sentences

After next week, deal flow may slow during the usually sleepier months of July and August and pick back up again after Labor Day.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

President Trump told the New York Post in an interview that the blockade in Iran could last until Labor Day, though he added that he thought that possibility was “unlikely.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

That comes as President Donald Trump told the New York Post in an interview published Wednesday that the U.S. naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz could last through Labor Day.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

So it is worth taking a moment to stare into the abyss and think through what the world—and your investment portfolio—might look like if the strait still isn’t open by Labor Day or by Christmas.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

On September 1, the Wednesday before Labor Day weekend, there was a knock on the rarely used back door of Egil Krogh’s office.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin