holiday
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a period of time when you travel or rest away from work or school.
n.a period of leisure and recreation, typically involving travel away from home. Often used in the plural in British English.
Simple“We are going on holiday to Spain for two weeks this summer.”
In context“The family spent their annual holiday hiking through the Lake District, enjoying the rare stretch of clear weather.”
UsageCommonly takes the preposition 'on'.
PitfallI am going to holiday next week. I am going on holiday next week.In English, you go 'on' holiday rather than using 'to' as a preposition for the state of being away.
- 02 A2 Elementary
n.a special day when most people do not work, like Christmas or a national day.
n.a specific day designated by law or custom on which ordinary business is suspended in commemoration of an event.
Simple“Monday is a public holiday, so the banks and post offices will be closed.”
In context“The government declared a national holiday to celebrate the team's unexpected victory in the world championship.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a period of time when you are allowed to stop making regular payments.
n.a contractually agreed period during which a borrower is permitted to suspend regular repayments.
Simple“The bank offered a three-month mortgage holiday to help people during the crisis.”
In context“Under the terms of the loan agreement, the startup was granted a repayment holiday for the first six months of operation.”
UsageOften appears in the compound 'repayment holiday' or 'mortgage holiday'.
Synonymsdefermentmoratorium - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to spend your time away from home for fun or rest.
v.to spend a period of time away from one's usual residence for recreation. Intransitive use.
Simple“The couple usually holiday in the south of France during the autumn.”
In context“Having holidayed in the same coastal village for twenty years, they felt more like locals than tourists.”
Teacher's tipWhile common in British English as a verb, American English speakers almost exclusively use 'vacation' as the verb form.
holiday vs vacation — Holiday is the standard British term for time away from work or school, while vacation is the preferred American equivalent.
Usage holiday lets