Columbus Day

noun

Co·​lum·​bus Day kə-ˈləm-bəs- How to pronounce Columbus Day (audio)
1
: October 12 formerly observed as a legal holiday in many states of the U.S. in commemoration of the landing of Columbus in the Bahamas in 1492
2
: the second Monday in October observed as a legal holiday in many states of the U.S.

Examples of Columbus Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The law also officially moved Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day to Mondays, although Veterans Day officially reverted to November 11 in 1978. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 While some states recently started celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the history of Native cultures, other states still observe the holiday as Columbus Day. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023 Extended hours on weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. Vanessa Infanzon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 Celebrating Columbus Day takes us a few decades back and not forward into the future. Noé López, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023 Trending News What's open and closed on Columbus Day/Indigenous People's Day USPS wants 5th rate hike since 2021. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2023 While some shops and restaurants close after Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day (October), prime accommodations are easier to find than in the summer. Linnea Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2024 The day is also nationally recognized as Columbus Day, which has been viewed as controversial across the country in recent years. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2023 Now, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is widely celebrated instead of Columbus Day, and dozens of monuments to Columbus have been removed in recent years, per the Washington Post. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Columbus Day.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Columbus Day was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near Columbus Day

Cite this Entry

“Columbus Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Columbus%20Day. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Columbus Day

noun
Co·​lum·​bus Day kə-ˈləm-bəs- How to pronounce Columbus Day (audio)
: the second Monday in October observed as a legal holiday in many states of the U.S. in honor of the landing of Columbus in the Bahamas in 1492

More from Merriam-Webster on Columbus Day

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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