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public holiday

British  

noun

  1. a holiday observed over the whole country

"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

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.

U.K. listed shares weren’t traded as the market was closed for a public holiday.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Labour inspectors on the public holiday in 2024 reported five bakers to the authorities for operating.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

The visit was part of a government drive to exempt independent bakeries and flower shops from mandatory rest on Labour Day - a public holiday across the country.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

May 1 is a public holiday in many countries to mark International Workers’ Day, or Labor Day, when workers’ unions traditionally rally around wages, pensions, inequality and broader political issues.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

For instance," said my guide, "to-morrow is a public holiday.

From The Confessions of a Caricaturist, Vol. 2 by Furniss, Harry

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