bank holiday

American

noun

a weekday on which banks are closed by law; legal holiday.
British. a secular day on which banks are closed, obligations then falling due being performable on the following secular day.

bank holiday British

noun

(in Britain) any of several weekdays on which banks are closed by law and 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 bank holiday

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

Iran is in the middle of an extended weekend, with the authorities declaring Wednesday a bank holiday at the last minute, citing the need to save energy during the cold weather.

From Barron's • Jan. 1, 2026

The streets of Tehran were calm early on Wednesday, a change from the usual chaotic and choking traffic, with the authorities having announced a bank holiday with just a day's notice.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

Irish rockers Fontaines DC, electronic duo Chase & Status and singer Florence + The Machine will also top the bill at both events over the August bank holiday weekend.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

"The recent bank holiday weekend provided an illustration of volatile public sentiment on this topic on social media," Wareing said.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

Your cads in a bank holiday train and your cads on a two thousand pound motor; except for a difference in scale, there's not a pin to choose between them.

From Kipps The Story of a Simple Soul by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)

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