holiday
noun /ˈhɒlədeɪ/, /ˈhɒlədi/
/ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
- [uncountable](also holidays [plural])(both British English)(North American English vacation)a period of time when you are not at work or school
- the school/summer/Christmas holidays
- She spent her holiday decorating the flat.
- on holiday I'm afraid Mr Walsh is away on holiday this week.
- The package includes 20 days' paid holiday a year.
- holiday pay
- a holiday job (= done by students during the school holidays)
Extra Examples- I have three weeks' holiday a year.
- I'm just trying to spread a little holiday cheer.
- I'm taking the rest of my holiday in October.
- It can be difficult to keep children occupied during the long summer holidays.
- My aunt's coming to stay in the holidays.
- She had a holiday job as a gardener when she was a student.
- The centre is now closed for the Christmas holidays.
- The roads will be busy on Monday as it's a holiday weekend.
- You are entitled to 24 days' paid holiday per year.
- How do you usually spend your holiday?
- How many days' holiday do you get a year?
- It's the school holidays at the moment.
- My assistant is on holiday this week.
- She doesn't get any paid holiday.
- We're going away over the Christmas holidays.
- What are you going to do during the summer holidays?
- You are entitled to four weeks' annual holiday.
- Your holiday entitlement is 25 days a year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- annual
- Christmas
- Easter
- …
- be entitled to
- get
- have
- …
- time
- entitlement
- pay
- …
- during the holidays
- in the holidays
- on holiday
- …
- [countable] (British English)(North American English vacation)a period of time spent travelling or resting away from home
- a camping/skiing/walking holiday
- an adventure holiday
- a foreign/an overseas holiday
- a family holiday
- a two-week holiday in the sun
- to have/take a holiday
- on holiday They met while on holiday in Greece.
- We went on holiday together last summer.
- for your holiday(s) Where are you going for your holidays this year?
- a holiday cottage/home
- a holiday destination/resort
Wordfinder- accommodation
- book
- full board
- holiday
- hotel
- reception
- reservation
- room service
- suite
- vacancy
Collocations Travel and tourismTravel and tourismHolidays/vacationssee also busman’s holiday, package holiday- have/take (British English) a holiday/(North American English) a vacation/a break/a day off/(British English) a gap year
- go on/be on holiday/vacation/leave/honeymoon/safari/a trip/a tour/a cruise/a pilgrimage
- go backpacking/camping/hitchhiking/sightseeing
- plan a trip/a holiday/a vacation/your itinerary
- book accommodation/a hotel room/a flight/tickets
- have/make/cancel a reservation/(especially British English) booking
- rent a villa/(both British English) a holiday home/a holiday cottage
- (especially British English) hire/ (especially North American English) rent a car/bicycle/moped
- stay in a hotel/a bed and breakfast/a youth hostel/a villa/(both British English) a holiday home/a caravan
- cost/charge $100 a/per night for a single/double/twin/standard/(British English) en suite room
- check into/out of a hotel/a motel/your room
- pack/unpack your suitcase/bags
- call/order room service
- cancel/cut short a trip/holiday/vacation
- apply for/get/renew a/your passport
- take out/buy/get travel insurance
- catch/miss your plane/train/ferry/connecting flight
- fly (in)/travel in business/economy class
- make/have a brief/two-day/twelve-hour stopover/(North American English also) layover in Hong Kong
- experience/cause/lead to delays
- check (in)/collect/get/lose (your) (especially British English) luggage/(especially North American English) baggage
- be charged for/pay excess baggage
- board/get on/leave/get off the aircraft/plane/ship/ferry
- taxi down/leave/approach/hit/overshoot the runway
- experience/hit/encounter severe turbulence
- suffer from/recover from/get over your jet lag/travel sickness
- attract/draw/bring tourists/visitors
- encourage/promote/hurt tourism
- promote/develop ecotourism
- build/develop/visit a tourist/holiday/(especially British English) seaside/beach/ski resort
- work for/be operated by a major hotel chain
- be served by/compete with low-cost/(especially North American English) low-fare/budget airlines
- book something through/make a booking through/use a travel agent
- contact/check with your travel agent/tour operator
- book/be on/go on a package deal/holiday/tour
- buy/bring back (tacky/overpriced) souvenirs
Wordfinder- break
- camp
- cruise
- holiday
- honeymoon
- package tour
- self-catering
- tourist
- travel
- visa
Extra ExamplesTopics Holidaysa1- I haven’t had a decent holiday for years.
- Have you booked your summer holiday yet?
- I got ill and had to cancel my holiday.
- I learned to windsurf on an activity holiday.
- I really need a holiday!
- This is your chance to win the holiday of a lifetime.
- We had a disastrous camping holiday.
- What would be your dream holiday?
- All we could afford was a week's holiday at my parents' place.
- Book your winter holiday now.
- Have a fantastic holiday!
- Have you ever been on a camping holiday?
- He's never had a holiday abroad.
- They met while on holiday in Spain.
- Their holiday romance turned into a lasting relationship.
- If you win, we'll send you on a holiday of a lifetime!
- Package holidays are generally becoming less popular.
- Try us first for your best family holiday ever!
- We had to cancel our holiday at the last minute.
- We supply everything you will need for your adventure holiday.
- We're going on a skiing holiday in Austria.
- Win a dream holiday to the Bahamas.
- I've never been one for holiday romances.
- The recession hit the package holiday business hard.
- They also have a holiday home at the seaside.
- It's a popular holiday destination.
- I picked up a few holiday brochures on the way home.
- Let's have a look at your holiday photos.
- Make sure you have holiday insurance.
- More and more people are taking foreign holidays.
- She works as a holiday rep.
- She works for a holiday company.
- The neighbours are away on holiday.
- The town is now a bustling holiday resort.
- Choose from over 200 great holiday destinations!
- a popular seaside holiday resort
- You should take out holiday insurance before you leave.
- We're going on holiday to France this summer.
- The pool is open throughout the holiday season.
- This holiday season was the worst in 25 years for retailers.
- Denmark's islands are wonderful holiday destinations for cyclists, anglers and families.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- enjoyable
- exciting
- fun-filled
- …
- go on
- have
- take
- …
- destination
- resort
- venue
- …
- on (a) holiday
- a holiday of a lifetime
- (also public holiday)[countable] a day when most people do not go to work or school, especially because of a religious or national celebration
- The president's birthday was declared a national holiday.
- Today is a holiday in Wales.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bank
- federal
- national
- …
- celebrate
- spend
- break
- weekend
- season
- …
- holidays[plural](also holiday season [countable])(North American English) the time from late November to early January that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year
- Happy Holidays!
- Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the holiday season for most Americans.
British/American holiday / vacationholiday / vacation- You use holiday (or holidays) in British English and vacation in North American English to describe the regular periods of time when you are not at work or school, or time that you spend travelling or resting away from home:
- I get four weeks’ holiday/vacation a year.
- He’s on holiday/vacation this week.
- I like to take my holiday/vacation in the winter.
- the summer holidays/vacation.
- In North American English a holiday (or a public holiday) is a single day when government offices, schools, banks and businesses are closed:
- The school will be closed Monday because it’s a holiday
- The holidays is used in North American English to refer to the time from late November to early January that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year.
- Vacation in British English is used mainly to mean one of the periods when universities are officially closed for the students.
Extra Examples- I go back a couple of times a year to celebrate the holidays with my family.
- We always spend the holidays together.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bank
- federal
- national
- …
- celebrate
- spend
- break
- weekend
- season
- …
Word OriginOld English hāligdæg ‘holy day’.
Culture holidays and vacationsholidays and vacationsHoliday in American English means a day that is special for some reason. Most people do not go to work on an important holiday, but may do so on a minor one. Few people have to work on federal (= national) holidays such as New Year's Day or Independence Day, though they may celebrate, for example, St Valentine's Day but still go to work or school. Apart from the main federal holidays, each state decides its own holidays. The period from Thanksgiving to the end of the year when there are several important holidays is called the holiday season or simply the holidays (Stores are getting ready for the holiday season.). In British English, special days like New Year's Day are called bank holidays or public holidays.Holiday in British English also means a period of time spent away from work or school, usually of a week or longer. This is called a vacation in American English. So, the period of several weeks in the summer when schools are closed is called the summer holiday in Britain and summer vacation in the US. Spring break in the US is a week's holiday for school and college students in March or April. Holiday and vacation are also used to refer to the period when people go away for a time to a beach resort or to the country, or go travelling. British people have about four weeks' paid leave from their jobs. Most take their main holiday in the summer. People without children of school age often go on holiday in the off season when prices are lower and there are fewer other holidaymakers (= people on holiday). Some people stay in Britain for their holiday, but many go to Europe and rent a cottage in the country or go to beach resorts for one or two weeks. Some travel to the US or visit India, the Far East and other parts of the world. Many British people going abroad buy package tours on the internet or through high-street travel agents, which include transport, accommodation and sometimes excursions (= local trips to places of interest) in the price. Some people see their holidays as an opportunity to relax in the sun, but others prefer activity holidays during which they can visit famous buildings or go walking in the countryside. Some go to a holiday centre, often called a holiday village, which provides entertainment for all the family. People often arrange their holiday a long time in advance and look forward to it through the winter. Many people also have a short break, usually three or four days, for example, at a country cottage in Britain or in a European city.Americans have less paid vacation, typically two weeks a year. People with high-level jobs or those who have worked in their company for many years may have longer vacations. People with low-paid jobs in shops, fast food restaurants, etc., often have no paid vacation at all.The typical family vacation in the US involves driving to a destination within the country. Some people visit relatives or go sightseeing in cities like Washington, DC, or New York. The national parks, like Yellowstone National Park or the Grand Canyon, are also popular, and people sometimes rent a cabin (BrE cottage) in the country. Families often go to amusement parks (= places with many activities for children) like Disney World in Florida. People who do not drive usually fly to a place as air fares are relatively cheap. Package tours are not very common and most Americans arrange their own transport and accommodation if they are staying in the US.Many Americans have not been on vacation outside North America. However, Europe has always been a popular destination for people wanting to travel further and package tours there are popular with wealthy older Americans. Trips to South America and the Far East are increasingly common, especially with younger travellers. Cruises (= journeys by ship, visiting different places) have also become very popular.