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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

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France has a public holiday for Bastille Day on Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 10, 2026

The Iranian delegation was welcomed on arrival by Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi, whose government declared Wednesday a public holiday.

From BBC Jul. 8, 2026

Paraguay's president Santiago Pena had already declared a public holiday after they had sealed World Cup qualification with a game to spare.

From BBC Jun. 30, 2026

The Juneteenth public holiday shifts the options expiration schedule, making today the effective “witching day” for traders.

From Barron's Jun. 18, 2026

But the master of the shop and his assistant—he kept no apprentice—sat working as usual at their boards, perhaps the only two men in Helleston who disregarded the public holiday.

From Two Sides of the Face Midwinter Tales by Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir

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