Synonyms

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.

And only in 1879 was his birthday formally made into a legal holiday for federal employees in the District of Columbia.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 17, 2024

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

The date became a legal holiday in 1879, and was later included in the Monday Holiday Law — which created the three-day weekend holiday — in 1968.

From Washington Times • Feb. 20, 2022

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

And I for one have decided, although I am no shirk, That to-day is a legal holiday and not even fire should work.

From The Jingle Book by Herford, Oliver

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