Memorial Day

noun

1

: May 30 formerly observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S. in remembrance of war dead

2

: the last Monday in May observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S.

3

: confederate memorial day

Examples of Memorial Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Namely, the strict Memorial Day to Labor Day window in which the local population usually swelled with city escapists, their bags full of rosé and white denim. —Zachary Weiss, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024

Epic Universe will open next spring, just ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend, which many consider the unofficial start of summer. —Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024

The event includes two cleanup opportunities: picking up trash on Piney Road or helping with trail clearing and maintenance related to damage from tornadoes that hit Benton County over Memorial Day weekend. —Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 16 Oct. 2024

Universal Orlando plans to open the new Epic Universe theme park as early as Memorial Day weekend 2025, report says. —Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Memorial Day

noun

1

: May 30 once observed as a legal holiday in honor of those who died in war

2

: the last Monday in May observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S.