Juneteenth

noun

June·​teenth ˌjün-ˈtēn(t)th 

: June 19 observed as a legal holiday in the United States in commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S.

Note: The federal name for this holiday according to the United States Code is Juneteenth National Independence Day. It is also called Black Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day.

Examples of Juneteenth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In his first weeks in office, Trump signed an executive order to end all DEI initiatives in the federal government; moved to ban observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Juneteenth; targeted gender-affirming care, launched mass deportation efforts and more. —Char Adams, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2025

This includes New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025

The National Juneteenth Museum got approval to develop and lease a Fort Worth community center's property for 40 years. —Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 14 Feb. 2025

Our fact-check sources Reuters, Feb. 7, Fact Check: No George Floyd statue ever erected at National Mall, contrary to claims USA TODAY, June 25, 2021, 'Shameful': George Floyd statues, unveiled for Juneteenth, vandalized in NYC, New Jersey Thank you for supporting our journalism. —Katie Smith, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

blend of June and nineteenth

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Juneteenth

• Juneteenth Independence Day
• Juneteenth National Independence Day

Rhymes for Juneteenth

• seventeenth
• eighteenth
• fifteenth
• fourteenth
• nineteenth
• sixteenth
• thirteenth
• umpteenth

Kids Definition

Juneteenth

noun

June·​teenth

ˌjün-ˈtēn(t)th

: June 19 observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. in commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S.