holiday

holiday — noun

1. a period of time when you are away from your usual work or school and can rest,

1.nounA1
Definition

a period of time when you are away from your usual work or school and can rest, travel, or spend time doing things you enjoy.

Example

The Chen family went on holiday to Thailand for two weeks in July.

go on holiday + destination

Meera used her holiday to visit her grandmother in Seoul and explore the city.

Common collocations
  • go on holiday
  • on holiday
  • take a holiday
  • summer holiday
  • school holiday
  • spend a holiday
Synonyms
  • vacation

    Standard American English term; less common in British English for this sense.

  • break

    A shorter period of rest, often a few days rather than weeks.

  • time off

    More general; can refer to any period away from work, even a single day.

Antonyms
  • workday

    A day spent at work rather than resting.

Grammar Patterns

go on holiday

take a holiday

on holiday

Usage Note

In British English, 'holiday' is the usual word for a break from work or school. In American English, 'vacation' is more common.

Common Mistakes

We made a holiday to Japan last spring.
We went on holiday to Japan last spring.
The correct verb phrase is 'go on holiday', not 'make a holiday'.
I am in holiday this week.
I am on holiday this week.
The correct preposition is 'on', not 'in'.

2. a day that is officially set by the government or law, when most people are free

2.nounA2
Definition

a day that is officially set by the government or law, when most people are free from work and school.

Example

Monday is a public holiday for National Day, so all the banks will be closed.

public holiday + for + [occasion]

Kabir checked the list of public holidays before booking his flight to Singapore.

Common collocations
  • public holiday
  • bank holiday
  • national holiday
  • fall on a holiday
  • public holiday schedule
Synonyms
  • bank holiday

    UK term for an official public holiday when banks are closed.

  • national holiday

    A public holiday celebrating a country's founding or significant event.

Antonyms
  • working day

    A day when people normally work and schools are open.

Grammar Patterns

public holiday

bank holiday

national holiday

Usage Note

In the UK, 'bank holiday' is the common term for an official public holiday when banks are closed by law.

Common Mistakes

Tomorrow is a holiday for everyone.
Tomorrow is a public holiday for everyone.
Use 'public holiday' when referring to an official day off for the whole country, not just yourself.

3. a set period during which a borrower is allowed to stop making regular repayment

3.nounB2
Definition

a set period during which a borrower is allowed to stop making regular repayments on a debt, such as a loan or mortgage.

Example

After losing his job, Darius asked the bank for a six-month holiday on his loan.

a holiday on + [type of debt]

The lender offered Henrik a payment holiday on his mortgage during the home renovations.

payment holiday + on [mortgage]

Common collocations
  • payment holiday
  • mortgage holiday
  • loan holiday
  • holiday on a loan
  • grant a holiday
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

a holiday on [loan/mortgage]

payment holiday

mortgage holiday

Usage Note

Subject is typically a financial institution (bank, lender) or a borrower. This sense is most common in British English financial contexts.

Common Mistakes

I took a holiday from my loan payments.' (sounds like a vacation)
I was granted a payment holiday on my loan.
Use 'payment holiday' or 'holiday on [loan]' to make the financial meaning clear.

4. the weeks around late December and early January when many cultures celebrate Ch

4.nounB1
Definition

the weeks around late December and early January when many cultures celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, and other seasonal festivals.

Example

The department store put up bright lights and decorations for the holiday season.

holiday season + decorations

Many airlines raise their ticket prices during the holiday season in December.

Common collocations
  • the holiday season
  • holiday season sales
  • during the holiday season
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

the holiday season

during the holiday season

Usage Note

This sense is most common in American English. In British English, 'the festive season' or 'Christmas period' is often used instead.

Common Mistakes

I love the holiday season of Christmas.
I love the holiday season around Christmas.
The holiday season is the period that includes Christmas, not a specific attribute of Christmas itself.

holiday — verb

Word family

  • holidays
    plural nounA1
  • holidaymaker
    nounB1
  • holidaying
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to time away from work or school, but they differ in variety, length, and context. 'Holiday' (BrE) and 'vacation' (AmE) are the closest equivalents, both typically describing a period of several days or weeks spent resting or travelling. 'Break' is shorter — often a few days rather than weeks — and is used in both British and American English ('spring break', 'a short break'). 'Leave' is formal and workplace-specific, referring to authorised absence such as parental leave or sick leave; you would not say 'I'm going on leave to Thailand'. 'Time off' is the most general and informal term, covering any period away from work including single days. Example: 'Kabir took a week of annual leave and went on holiday to Scotland for a short break in the mountains.'

holiday ↗vacation ↗break ↗leavetime off

Common collocations

Nouns

  • holiday period
  • holiday season
  • holiday schedule
  • holiday plans

Phrases

  • go on holiday
  • take a holiday
  • public holiday
  • bank holiday
  • have a holiday
  • spend a holiday

Prepositions

  • on holiday
  • for a holiday
  • during the holiday

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'holiday' comes from the Old English phrase 'hālig dæg', meaning 'holy day'. In early times, a 'holy day' was a religious festival when people did not work. Over the centuries, the meaning expanded to include any day off from work, and later any period of rest or travel away from work or school.