Halloween

noun

Hal·​low·​een ˌha-lə-ˈwēn How to pronounce Halloween (audio) ˌhä- How to pronounce Halloween (audio)
variants or less commonly Hallowe'en
: October 31 observed especially with dressing up in disguise, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o'-lanterns during the evening

Examples of Halloween in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The solving of the murder is quite straightforward, particularly after last week’s merry-go-round of visits to places Mac visited on Halloween night. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024 Read Next: Iowa Farmer Takes a Break from Combining to Tag a 30-Point Behemoth Buck Halloween morning was cool and bright, and there was good wind for hunting that afternoon. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024 During the Halloween Nightmares episode last week, there was a shocking elimination after a fan-favorite couple went home despite winning their dance-off and receiving a high score. Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024 Last week’s theme, Halloween Nightmares Night, saw the seven remaining couples deliver standout routines to spooky tunes. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Halloween 

Word History

Etymology

short for All Hallow Even (All Saints' Eve)

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Halloween was circa 1700

Dictionary Entries Near Halloween

Cite this Entry

“Halloween.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Halloween. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Halloween

noun
Hal·​low·​een ˌhal-ə-ˈwēn How to pronounce Halloween (audio) ˌhäl- How to pronounce Halloween (audio)
: October 31 celebrated especially by wearing costumes, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o'-lanterns
Etymology

an altered form of All Hallow Even, the eve of All Saints' Day

Word Origin
Modern-day Christians know the first of November as All Saints' Day. In the Middle Ages it was called All Hallow Day. This was a hallowed or holy day celebrated in honor of all the saints in heaven. Since November 1 was a special holy day with a special name, the day before it had a special name as well. October 31 was called All Hallow Eve or All Hallow Even. The words eve and even were used both for the evening and the day before a special day. This name was sometimes written All Hallow E'en and later shortened to Halloween.

More from Merriam-Webster on Halloween

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