Thanksgiving Day

noun

: a day appointed for giving thanks for divine goodness: such as
a
: the fourth Thursday in November observed as a legal holiday in the U.S.
b
: the second Monday in October observed as a legal holiday in Canada

Examples of Thanksgiving Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The second round will be played on Thanksgiving Day. Cj Moore, New York Times, 21 May 2026 Not even the usual Thanksgiving Day morning aroma from the oven or her mother's favorite Joni Mitchell cooking music. Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 The league has played three games on Thanksgiving Day since 2006 and added a Black Friday game in 2023. Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 13 May 2026 There are also bigger-than-usual plans afoot for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since this year marks the 100th staging of the event. David Moin, Footwear News, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for Thanksgiving Day

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Thanksgiving Day was in 1674

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thanksgiving Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Thanksgiving%20Day. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

Thanksgiving Day

noun
: a day for giving thanks for divine goodness: as
a
: the fourth Thursday in November observed as a legal holiday in the U.S.
b
: the second Monday in October observed as a legal holiday in Canada

More from Merriam-Webster on Thanksgiving Day

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!