# halloween

/ˌhæɫəˈwin/ (US) · CEFR A2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/halloween
Updated: 2026-07-09

## Definition

a holiday on October 31st when people dress in costumes and children go to houses to ask for candy. It is a time for spooky stories, pumpkins, and fun parties.

For teachers: a holiday observed on the evening of October 31, originating from ancient Celtic harvest festivals and now characterised by costume parties and trick-or-treating. When capitalised, it refers to the specific calendar event.

## Examples

- The children are excited to wear their costumes for Halloween.
- Many families carve faces into pumpkins and place candles inside them to decorate their porches for Halloween.
- While modern Halloween is largely a commercial and secular event, its roots lie in the ancient festival of Samhain, which marked the transition from the harvest to the dark of winter.

## Usage notes

- Usually capitalised as a proper noun; functions as an uncountable noun when referring to the holiday itself.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.