Meanings
holiday1
nounholiday (plural holidays)
plural holidays · alternative holyday
- A day on which a religious event or secular celebration is traditionally observed.
Today is a Wiccan holiday!
2 more examples
Near-synonyms: holy day, feast day, festival (feast day sense)
Monday, January 18, was the holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. In the morning I held a reception for the diplomatic representatives of other nations in the inner quadrangle at Georgetown, addressing them from the steps of Old North Building.
2005, Bill Clinton, My Life, volume II, New York: Vintage Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 5 - A day declared free from work by the state or government.
Synonyms: bank holiday, national holiday, day off, off day
- AustraliaUKA period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.
How much holiday are you allowed?
2 more examples
No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or[…]. And at last I began to realize in my harassed soul that all elusion was futile, and to take such holidays as I could get, when he was off with a girl, in a spirit of thankfulness.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46Climb aboard a butterfly and take off in the breeze. Let your worries flutter by and do the things you please. In the land where dollar bills are falling off the trees. On a dreamer’s holiday.[…]Make it a long vacation. Time, there is plenty of. You need no reservation. Just bring along the one you love.
1949 August 11, “A Dreamer’s Holiday”, performed by Perry Como, The Fontaine Sisters, and The Mitchell Ayres OrchestraSynonyms: leave, time off, vacation, annual leave, break, day off, getaway, leave
- AustraliaUKA period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).
I want to take a French course this summer holiday.
Synonyms: vacation
- businessA period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made.
a mortgage payment holiday
verbholiday (third-person singular simple present holidays, present participle holidaying, simple past and past participle holidayed)
present singular third person holidays · participle present holidaying · participle past holidayed · past holidayed · alternative holyday
- UKintransitiveTo take a period of time away from work or study.
- UKintransitiveTo spend a period of time in recreational travel.
Holiday2
proper noun
alternative Holliday
- A surname.
- A census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States, named after Holiday Drive, a road.
- A community in the township of Zorra, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA day on which a religious event or secular celebration is traditionally observed.
nounA day declared free from work by the state or government.
nounA period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.
nounA period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).
Similar
nounA gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounleisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
holiday · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*kéh₂ilos
- Proto-Germanic*hailaz
- Proto-Germanic*hailagaz
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰegʷʰ-?
- Proto-Germanic*dagaz
- Proto-Germanic*hailagadagaz
- Old Englishhāliġdæġ
- Middle Englishhalyday
- Englishholiday
From Middle English halyday, holyday, halidei, haliȝdei, from Old English hāliġdæġ (“holy day, Sabbath”), equivalent to holy + day. Compare West Frisian hjeldei (“holiday”), Danish helligdag (“holiday”), Norwegian helligdag (“holiday”), Swedish helgdag (“holiday, feast”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἑορτή
- ἑορτή (heortḗ)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
Arabic عِيد, عُطْل
- عِيد (ʕīd)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- عُطْل (ʕuṭl)day declared free from work by the government
- عُطْلَة (ʕuṭla)day declared free from work by the government
- إِجَازَة (ʔijāza)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- عُطْلَة (ʕuṭla)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
Basque jaiegun
- jaiegunday declared free from work by the government
Bengali ছুটির দিন
- ছুটির দিন (chuṭir din)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
Bulgarian пра́зник, пра́зник
- пра́зник (práznik)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- пра́зник (práznik)day declared free from work by the government
- о́тпуска (ótpuska)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- о́тпуск (ótpusk)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- вака́нция (vakáncija)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- вака́нция (vakáncija)period during which pupils do not attend school
Catalan festa, dia de festa
- festaday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- dia de festaday declared free from work by the government
- dia feriatday declared free from work by the government
- vacancesperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vacancesperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Chinese Cantonese 節日 /节日, 節慶 /节庆
- 節日 /节日 (zit³ jat⁶)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- 節慶 /节庆 (zit³ hing³)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
Chinese Mandarin 節日 /节日, 節慶 /节庆
- 節日 /节日 (jiérì)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- 節慶 /节庆 (jiéqìng)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- 國定假日 /国定假日day declared free from work by the government
- 假日 (jiàrì)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- 休假日 (xiūjiàrì)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- 假期 (jiàqī)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- 假期 (jiàqī, jiàqí)period during which pupils do not attend school
Czech svátek, svátek
- svátekday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- svátekday declared free from work by the government
- dovolenáperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- prázdninyperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Danish helligdag, helligdag
- helligdagday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- helligdagday declared free from work by the government
- fridagday declared free from work by the government
- ferieperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- ferieperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- helligdagunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
Dutch feestdag, feestdag
- feestdagday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- feestdagday declared free from work by the government
- vakantieperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vakantieperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Esperanto festotago, festotago
- festotagoday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- festotagoday declared free from work by the government
- libertempoperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- (lernejaj) feriojperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Estonian püha, puhkust
- pühaday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- puhkustperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vaheaegperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- koolivaheaegperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Finnish juhlapäivä, pyhäpäivä
- juhlapäiväday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- pyhäpäiväday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- yleinen vapaapäiväday declared free from work by the government
- lomaperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- lomapäiväperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vapaapäiväperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- lomaperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- aukkounintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- lomaillato take a period of time away from work or study
- matkustellato spend a period of time in recreational travel
French fête, jour férié
- fêteday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- jour fériéday declared free from work by the government
- jour de congéday declared free from work by the government
- congéperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vacancesperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vacancesperiod during which pupils do not attend school
German Feiertag, gesetzlicher Feiertag
- Feiertagday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- gesetzlicher Feiertagday declared free from work by the government
- Ruhetagday declared free from work by the government
- Urlaubperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- Ferienperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- Ferienperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- Urlaubperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- reisento spend a period of time in recreational travel
- eine Ferienreise machento spend a period of time in recreational travel
- urlaubento spend a period of time in recreational travel
Greek γιορτή, αργία
- γιορτή (giortí)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- αργία (argía)day declared free from work by the government
- διακοπές (diakopés)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- διακοπές (diakopés)period during which pupils do not attend school
Hebrew חג \ חַג, יום טוב
- חג \ חַג (khag)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- יום טוב (yóm ṭóv)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- חופשה \ חֻפְשָׁה (khufshá)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
Hindi अवकाश, छुट्टी
- अवकाश (avkāś)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- छुट्टी (chuṭṭī)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- ईद (īd)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- छुट्टी (chuṭṭī)day declared free from work by the government
- अवकाश (avkāś)day declared free from work by the government
- छुट्टी का दिन (chuṭṭī kā din)day declared free from work by the government
- छुट्टी (chuṭṭī)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- अवकाश (avkāś)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- छुट्टी का दिन (chuṭṭī kā din)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- अवकाश (avkāś)period during which pupils do not attend school
- छुट्टी (chuṭṭī)period during which pupils do not attend school
- छुट्टी (chuṭṭī)to take a period of time away from work or study
- अवकाश (avkāś)to take a period of time away from work or study
Hungarian ünnepnap, szünnap
- ünnepnapday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- szünnapday declared free from work by the government
- szabadnapday declared free from work by the government
- szabadságperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- szünetperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- vakációperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- haladékfinance: period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made
- kihagyott/kimaradt rész/felületunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- hézagunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- kihagyásunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- hiányunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- szabadságon vanto take a period of time away from work or study
- szabadnaposto take a period of time away from work or study
- kirándulto spend a period of time in recreational travel
Icelandic helgidagur
- helgidagurday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
Indonesian liburan, liburan
- liburanday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- liburanday declared free from work by the government
Irish lá saoire, lá saoire
- lá saoireday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- lá saoireday declared free from work by the government
- saoireperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- laethanta saoireperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Italian giorno festivo, giorno festivo
- giorno festivoday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- giorno festivoday declared free from work by the government
- vacanzaperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- ferieperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vacanzaperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- vacanzaunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
Japanese 祭日, 祭り
- 祭日 (saijitsu)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- 祭り (matsuri)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- 休日 (kyūjitsu)day declared free from work by the government
- 休暇 (kyūka)day declared free from work by the government
- 休暇 (kyūka)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- 休日 (kyūjitsu)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
Korean 축제일, 축일
- 축제일 (chukjeil)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- 축일 (chugil)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- 휴일 (hyuil)day declared free from work by the government
- 휴가 (hyuga)day declared free from work by the government
- 휴가 (hyuga)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- 방학 (banghak)period during which pupils do not attend school
Latin diēs fēstus, fēria
- diēs fēstusday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- fēriaday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- fēstumday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- fēriaeday declared free from work by the government
- fēstumday declared free from work by the government
- cessātiōperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- fēriaeperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- fēriaeperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- cessātiōperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Latvian atvaļinājums, brīvdienas
- atvaļinājumsperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- brīvdienasperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Lithuanian atóstogos
- atóstogosperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
Malay hari perayaan, cuti
- hari perayaanday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- cutiday declared free from work by the government
- cutiperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
Māori hararei, hararei
- harareiday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- harareiday declared free from work by the government
- harareiperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- harareito take a period of time away from work or study
- harareito spend a period of time in recreational travel
Norwegian Bokmål helligdag, helgedag
- helligdagday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- helgedagday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- høytidsdagday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- høgtidsdagday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- helligdagday declared free from work by the government
- ferieperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- ferieperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Polish święto, święto
- świętoday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- świętoday declared free from work by the government
- urlopperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- wakacjeperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- wczasyperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- wakacjeperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- ferieperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- wolneperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- wakacje kredytowefinance: period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made
- lukaunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- opuszczenieunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- pominięcieunintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- brać urlopto take a period of time away from work or study
- wziąć urlopto take a period of time away from work or study
- spędzać wakacjeto spend a period of time in recreational travel
- spędzić wakacjeto spend a period of time in recreational travel
- wczasować sięto spend a period of time in recreational travel
Portuguese feriado, feriado
- feriadoday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- feriadoday declared free from work by the government
- fériasperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- fériasperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- tirar fériasto take a period of time away from work or study
Romanian sărbătoare, vacanță
- sărbătoareday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- vacanțăperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
Russian пра́здник, выходно́й день
- пра́здник (prázdnik)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- выходно́й день (vyxodnój denʹ)day declared free from work by the government
- выходно́й (vyxodnój)day declared free from work by the government
- о́тпуск (ótpusk)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- отгу́л (otgúl)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- кани́кулы (kaníkuly)period during which pupils do not attend school
- опло́шность (oplóšnostʹ)unintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- про́пуск (própusk)unintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- плешь (plešʹ)unintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
- брать о́тпуск (bratʹ ótpusk)to take a period of time away from work or study
- проводи́ть о́тпуск (provodítʹ ótpusk)to take a period of time away from work or study
- проводи́ть кани́кулы (provodítʹ kaníkuly)to take a period of time away from work or study
- отдыха́ть (otdyxátʹ)to take a period of time away from work or study
- путеше́ствовать (putešéstvovatʹ)to spend a period of time in recreational travel
Scottish Gaelic latha-fèille, latha-fèille
- latha-fèilleday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- latha-fèilleday declared free from work by the government
- saor-làitheanperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- làithean-saoraperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- saor-lathaperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- saor-làitheanperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- làithean-saoraperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Slovak sviatok, sviatok
- sviatokday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- sviatokday declared free from work by the government
- dovolenkaperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
Spanish festividad, fiesta
- festividadday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- fiestaday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- día festivoday declared free from work by the government
- feriadoday declared free from work by the government
- día feriadoday declared free from work by the government
- día de fiestaday declared free from work by the government
- vacaciónperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vacacionesperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- vacacionesperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- vacacionarto take a period of time away from work or study
- vacacionarto spend a period of time in recreational travel
Swahili likizo, likizo
- likizoday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- likizoday declared free from work by the government
- likizoperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- likizoperiod during which pupils do not attend school
- likizounintentional gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery
Swedish högtid, helgdag
- högtidday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- helgdagday declared free from work by the government
- semesterperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- lovperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Tamil விடுமுறை, விடுமுறை
- விடுமுறை (viṭumuṟai)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- விடுமுறை (viṭumuṟai)day declared free from work by the government
- விடுப்பு (viṭuppu)day declared free from work by the government
- விடுமுறை (viṭumuṟai)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- விடுப்பு (viṭuppu)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- விடுமுறை (viṭumuṟai)period during which pupils do not attend school
- விடுப்பு (viṭuppu)period during which pupils do not attend school
- விடுமுறை எடு (viṭumuṟai eṭu)to take a period of time away from work or study
Thai วันหยุด, วันหยุด
- วันหยุด (wan-yùt)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- วันหยุด (wan-yùt)day declared free from work by the government
Turkish bayram, tatil
- bayramday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- tatilday declared free from work by the government
- tatilperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- tatilperiod during which pupils do not attend school
Ukrainian свя́то, пра́зник
- свя́то (svjáto)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- пра́зник (práznyk)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- свя́то (svjáto)day declared free from work by the government
- вихідни́й день (vyxidnýj denʹ)day declared free from work by the government
- вихідни́й (vyxidnýj)day declared free from work by the government
- відпу́стка (vidpústka)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- кані́кули (kaníkuly)period during which pupils do not attend school
Urdu عِید, چُھٹّی
- عِید ('īd)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- چُھٹّی (chuṭṭī)day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- تَعْطِیل (ta'tīl)day declared free from work by the government
- چُھٹّی (chuṭṭī)day declared free from work by the government
- تَعْطِیل (ta'tīl)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- چُھٹّی (chuṭṭī)period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
Vietnamese ngày lễ, nghỉ lễ
- ngày lễday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
- nghỉ lễday declared free from work by the government
- ngày nghỉperiod of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel
- nghỉ mátto take a period of time away from work or study
Welsh gŵyl
- gŵylday on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
holiday. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holiday
MLA
“holiday.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holiday. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holiday,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holiday.
Source: holiday on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.