Sunday
1 Americannoun
adjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of Sunday.
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used, done, taking place, or being as indicated only on or as if on Sundays.
a Sunday matinée.
idioms
noun
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William Ashley Billy Sunday, 1862–1935, U.S. evangelist.
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a female given name.
noun
Usage
What does Sunday mean? Sunday is the day between Saturday and Monday. In North and South America, most countries (including the U. S. and Canada) consider the calendar week to begin on Sunday, making it the first day of the week. In other places, including in much of Europe and Asia, the week is considered to begin on Monday, making Sunday the seventh and final day of the week. In parts of the Middle East and other places, the week is considered to begin on Saturday, making Sunday the second day of the week. Regardless of when the week officially begins, in many places Sunday is considered (along with Saturday) one of the two days that make up the weekend, during which many people do not work. In contrast, the other five days, Monday through Friday, are considered weekdays, which make up the workweek (or school week). In this sense, Sunday is not considered a weekday but a weekend day. Many people’s favorite day is Saturday because it’s the official start of the weekend, with another weekend day ahead of it—Sunday. Sunday is often enjoyed as a day of recreation and rest (some people call it Sunday Funday). But it comes with a catch: it’s followed by Monday, which is famously disliked due to being the first day of the workweek. (This feeling of dread over the weekend ending is sometimes called the Sunday scaries.)The word Sundays can be used as an adverb meaning every Sunday or on Sundays, as in I work Sundays or The shop is closed Sundays. To indicate the general time of day during which something will happen on a Sunday, the word can be followed by the general time, as in Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening, and Sunday night. Example: Sundays are bittersweet—I like relaxing, but in the back of my mind I’m worrying about the coming workweek.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Sunday
before 900; Middle English sun(nen)day, Old English sunnandæg, translation of Latin diēs sōlis, itself translation of Greek hēméra hēlíou day of the sun; cognate with German Sonntag
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.
For the first time since 2015, neither St. John Bosco nor Mater Dei will be seeded No. 1 for the Division 1 playoffs when pairings are released on Sunday morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
I’ve been doing Sushi Sunday with my husband and my son since he was 5 months old.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
The 45-year-old Brazilian senator bolted his country two days after being defeated by incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a presidential election on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
It’s a big weekend for #RunTok: The New York City Marathon is on Sunday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
“I call it Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Ahwoo-Ahwoo. I got the idea from Lumawoo’s cannibal book,” Beowulf explained.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
