Ramadan
Americannoun
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the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
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the festival celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, commemorating the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad: observed with strict fasting from dawn till sunset and, often, feasting and festivities after sunset.
noun
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the ninth month of the Muslim year, lasting 30 days, during which strict fasting is observed from sunrise to sunset
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the fast itself
Usage
What is Ramadan? Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which many Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset each day. The word Ramadan is also used to refer to this daily fast. During Ramadan, Muslims who fast start the day by eating a meal, called suhoor, before sunrise. The fast is then broken every night after sunset with a meal called iftar. The strictness of the fast varies among Muslims, and not every Muslim fasts during Ramadan. Children, elderly people, and people who have a health condition or are sick or pregnant are not required to fast, and often eat and drink during the day. Along with the daily fast and other forms of abstinence, many Muslims observe Ramadan by praying, attending services at their mosque, trying to give up bad habits, and performing charitable acts. The day after Ramadan ends, the festival known as Eid-al-fitr begins. Its name means “festival of the breaking of the fast.”One traditional greeting for Ramadan is Ramadan Mubarak, roughly meaning “Happy Ramadan” or “Blessed Ramadan.”
Etymology
Origin of Ramadan
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Arabic ramaḍān, from ramaḍ “dryness, scorchedness,” from ramiḍa “to become intensely hot, be scorched”
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.
In the wholesale markets of Yiwu, the Chinese city known for supplying the world with inexpensive goods, buyers can find prayer rugs, Quran stands, modest clothing, Ramadan lanterns and crescent-shaped decorations.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Next year, the opening race is set to revert to Bahrain after two years in Australia as a result of the timing of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I get it,” Tahnoon replied, signaling for tea and dates to break the Ramadan fast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
In peaceful times, Ramadan would normally see people hanging out in sidewalk restaurants and cafes after the daylong fast.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
They always take me to the mosque on important holidays; they fast during Ramadan; they sometimes close their office to attend Friday afternoon prayers.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
