holiday

Meaning

Noun

1. A day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed.
2. A day declared free from work by the state or government.
3. (Australia, UK) A period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.
4. (Australia, UK) A period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).
5. A period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made.
6. A gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery.

Verb

1. (British, intransitive) To take a period of time away from work or study.
2. (British, intransitive) To spend a period of time in recreational travel.

Synonyms

vacation

festival

feast

leave

day off

celebration

🎉

festivity

time off

rest

leisure

fiesta

festive

national holiday

vacation

feast day

break

public holiday

best

absence

bank holiday

festal

furlough

gala

holy day

party

🥳

Sunday

time

⌚

vac

discharge

festival day

otioseness

half-term

affair

honeymoon

idleness

jollification

joy

😂

jubilee

lay off

day of rest

leave of absence

coated

memorial day

name-day

closed

business suspended

pass

paying off

playtime

ceremony

Translations

Feiertag

congé

vacances

fête

⛷️

vacance

Urlaub

vakantie

vacanza

jour férié

vacaciones

férias

Ferien

giorno festivo

festa

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɒlɪdeɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: halyday

Inherited from Old English: hāliġdæġ

Cognate with Western Frisian: hjeldei

Cognate with Danish: helligdag

Cognate with Norwegian: helligdag

Cognate with Swedish: helgdag

In summary

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”).