Thanksgiving Day
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does Thanksgiving Day mean? Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada that is traditionally observed with family gatherings and large meals. It’s commonly just called Thanksgiving. It is observed in the U. S. on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada on the second Monday of October. Today, observation of Thanksgiving Day in the U. S. is traditionally centered around a large meal, especially one that includes a roast turkey. Other traditional Thanksgiving dishes include mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, and pumpkin pie. The association with eating turkey has led to the informal nickname Turkey Day. The word thanksgiving means the act of expressing or feeling thankfulness. In other words, it’s the act of giving thanks for what you’re grateful for. Example: My family has a tradition of going on a leisurely hike on Thanksgiving Day to spend some time outdoors before the big meal.
Etymology
Origin of Thanksgiving Day
An Americanism dating back to 1665–75
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.
Though they weren’t a group before the film, they have since performed together on the “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Saturday Night Live” and in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
“You can’t hear it without tapping a toe, bobbing a head or getting up and doing the full choreography,” said Will Coss, executive producer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025
Ahead of the release of the trailer, the mother of two shared further insights into her Thanksgiving Day plans with Prince Harry and their two children in the latest issue of the As Ever newsletter.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 4, 2025
In 1941, Roosevelt signed a bill designating the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
Despite her protests, Gilly stayed home from school Tuesday and Wednesday to nurse the three of them, and Thanksgiving Day found her exhausted from going up and down stairs and from bedside to bedside.
From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson
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.
