bank holiday

American  

noun

• bank holidays
  plural

1. a weekday on which banks are closed by law; legal holiday.

2. British. a secular day on which banks are closed, obligations then falling due being performable on the following secular day.

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bank holiday British  

noun

1. (in Britain) any of several weekdays on which banks are closed by law and which are observed as national holidays

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bank holidays
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bank holiday

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bank holiday

Across the bank holiday weekend, more than two million people were expected to join in the celebrations, featuring thousands of parade performers in sequins, feathers and bejewelled headpieces.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Areas of heavy rain and showers are expected to sweep across parts of the UK on each day of the weekend, which is a bank holiday for many.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

When this event was announced, it was the prime event of the August bank holiday weekend in British boxing.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Overall, the late August bank holiday weekend looks set to be cooler, windier and wetter than the hot and dry conditions we've experienced for much of this record-breaking summer.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Julia was not in a position to contradict this; she only said, "It is a real holiday, then, like a bank holiday in England?"

From The Good Comrade by Anna Whelan Betts