national holiday
Americannoun
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national holidays
plural
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a holiday that is observed throughout a nation.
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a holiday that is legally established by a national government rather than by a municipal or state government.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of national holiday
An Americanism dating back to 1865–70
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.
Held each year on 14 July, the national holiday marks the storming of the Bastille fortress in 1789, a key event from the French Revolution.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The streets of Paraguay erupted Monday as people rejoiced in beating powerhouse Germany in the World Cup and the president declared a national holiday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The quakes hit while the country was celebrating a national holiday, commemorating the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, a decisive victory by Venezuelan independence leader Simón Bolívar against the Spanish colonial power.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Memorial Day officially became a federal national holiday in 1971, and is now part of a nationwide annual celebration that also serves as the unofficial beginning of summer.
From MarketWatch ● May 21, 2026
It was a national holiday, and Sassur took Chandra and me into the village to see the fireworks.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
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.
