DictionaryAI

holiday

HOL-uh-day/ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/UKHOL-i-day/ˈhɒlɪdeɪ/

Pluralholidays

7 meanings of holiday

Practice

  1. 1
    celebration daynouncountable
    A day set aside for a celebration or special event, often with time off work.

    Like a birthday, but for a whole country or community.

    Christmas is my favorite holiday of the whole year.

    Many holidays in spring have deep religious roots.

    UsageA public holiday is an official holiday when many people have time off work.

    Note
  2. 2
    vacation (time off)nounAustraliaUKcountable or uncountable
    Time taken off work to rest, relax, or travel for fun.

    Like a long break where you go away and forget about work for a while.

    We are going on holiday to the seaside next week.

    She saved all year for a long holiday abroad.

    UsageGo on holiday means take time off to rest or travel. In the US, people say vacation.

    Similarvacation, break, leave, getaway

  3. 3
    school breaknounAustraliaUKcountable
    A time when schools are closed and children do not have lessons.

    There are no lessons during the school holiday, so the kids stay home.

    During the school holidays, the playground is always full.

    UsagePeople often say the holidays or the school holidays for the whole break.

    Similarvacation, recess

    Oppositeterm

    Note
  4. 4
    nounplural
    The time of year around Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Day.

    We always visit my grandparents over the holidays.

    Lots of people eat too many sweets and gain a few pounds during the holidays.

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    spend a vacationverbBritishintransitive
    To spend time off work or school resting or having fun, often on a trip.

    My grandparents holiday by the sea every August.

    We always holiday at home to save money for other things.

    UsageSay holiday in a place: we holiday in Spain.

  2. 6
    payment breaknouncountable
    A time when, by agreement, you do not have to make your usual payments.

    Like pressing pause on your bills for a little while.

    The bank offered a three-month holiday on her loan payments.

    A tax holiday let the new business keep more of its early profits.

    UsageUsed in phrases like payment holiday and tax holiday.

    Similarmoratorium, suspension, deferral

    Note
  3. 7
    noun
    A gap where coverage is missing, such as an unpainted patch or an area missing from a sonar scan.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of holiday apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old English hāligdæg, meaning "holy day." It comes from the words "holy" and "day."

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 3 facts