Phrase guide

Bank Holiday

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Alternative letter-case form of bank holiday.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A weekday, often a Monday, on which most businesses are closed, and granted to workers as a national holiday.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ireland, UK

Examples

  • On a bank holiday weekend.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A closure of banks in a jurisdiction to curtail or prevent a bank run.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: euphemistic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

any of several weekdays when banks are closed; a legal holiday in Britain

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: legal holiday, national holiday, public holiday

History

Etymology

Historically, a holiday, other than a public holiday, observed by the Bank of England.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: wettelijke feestdag — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Esperanto: banka ferio — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Esperanto: banka libertago — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Finnish: yleinen vapaapäivä — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Finnish: kansallinen vapaapäivä — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • French: jour férié — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • German: Feiertag — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Greek: αργία (argía) — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Irish: féile bainc — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Irish: saorlá bainc — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Polish: święto bankowe — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Spanish: fiesta nacional — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday
  • Welsh: gŵyl y banc — a weekday granted to workers as a national holiday