Martin Luther King Day

noun

Mar·​tin Lu·​ther King Day ˈmär-tᵊn-ˈlü-thər-ˈkiŋ- How to pronounce Martin Luther King Day (audio)
: the third Monday in January observed as a legal holiday in the U.S.

Note: The federal name for this holiday according to the United States Code is Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Examples of Martin Luther King Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Night of Hoops followed four games in two days at two Martin Luther King Day events and Friday’s 50-42 win at Lake Park to open second-round play in the DuKane Conference. Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025 In January 2023, the report says, the woman was with Davis and other Local 100 members in Houston to celebrate Martin Luther King Day when the union boss asked her to come to his hotel room. Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025 Hundreds of people celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Day on Monday, marching through the streets of Land Park. Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 21 Jan. 2025 Also, Trump’s inauguration coincided with Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday which, since 1983, lands on the third Monday in January. Brad Adgate, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for Martin Luther King Day 

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Martin Luther King Day was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near Martin Luther King Day

Cite this Entry

“Martin Luther King Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Martin%20Luther%20King%20Day. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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