bank holiday

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of bank holiday

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

The strike following Easter bank holiday weekend will be the 15th in a long-running dispute which began in March 2023.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

First Minister John Swinney has proposed that 15 June is designated as a national bank holiday.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

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

Schools, universities and public institutions were closed across the country on Wednesday after a bank holiday was declared by authorities in an apparent effort to quell the unrest.

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026

The goat, or rather kid, a charming gazelle-like creature, with budding horns and broad, hard forehead, was one of my fourteen fellow passengers in a third-class carriage on a certain bank holiday Saturday.

From Laurus Nobilis Chapters on Art and Life by Lee, Vernon