Sunday

¹

[suhn-dey, -dee]

noun

1. the first day of the week, observed as the Sabbath by most Christian sects.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Sunday.

2. used, done, taking place, or being as indicated only on or as if on Sundays.

   a Sunday matinée.

Sunday

²

[suhn-dey, -dee]

noun

1. William Ashley Billy Sunday, 1862–1935, U.S. evangelist.

2. a female given name.

Sunday

/ ˈsʌndɪ, -deɪ /

noun

1. the first day of the week and the Christian day of worship

Other Word Forms

• Sundaylike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sunday¹

before 900; Middle English sun(nen)day, Old English sunnandæg, translation of Latin diēs sōlis, itself translation of Greek hēméra hēlíou day of the sun; cognate with German Sonntag

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sunday¹

Old English sunnandæg, translation of Latin diēs sōlis day of the sun, translation of Greek hēmera hēliou; related to Old Norse sunnu dagr, German Sonntag

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. a month of Sundays, an indeterminately great length of time.

   She hadn't taken a vacation in a month of Sundays.

More idioms and phrases containing Sunday

• month of Sundays

Example Sentences

A London-born boy is set to become the first millennial saint, in a ceremony steeped in an ancient ritual presided over by Pope Leo on Sunday.

From BBC

On Sunday, current Pool C leaders New Zealand face Ireland and Pool D frontrunners South Africa take on France to decide the winners and runners-up from the final two groups.

From BBC

The government has urged people to "keep their cool" when the national system for sending emergency alerts to mobile phones in the UK is tested on Sunday.

From BBC

Villagers in a remote area of Sudan's western Darfur region are trying to reach buried victims by hand after a devastating landslide on Sunday, aid group Save the Children says.

From BBC

We'll be talking to the Reform leader later, and our full interview will be on the show on Sunday.

From BBC

Related Words

• day off 
• rest day www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What does Sunday mean?

Sunday is the day between Saturday and Monday.In North and South America, most countries (including the U.S. and Canada) consider the calendar week to begin on Sunday, making it the first day of the week. In other places, including in much of Europe and Asia, the week is considered to begin on Monday, making Sunday the seventh and final day of the week. In parts of the Middle East and other places, the week is considered to begin on Saturday, making Sunday the second day of the week.Regardless of when the week officially begins, in many places Sunday is considered (along with Saturday) one of the two days that make up the weekend, during which many people do not work. In contrast, the other five days, Monday through Friday, are considered weekdays, which make up the workweek (or school week). In this sense, Sunday is not considered a weekday but a weekend day. Many people’s favorite day is Saturday because it’s the official start of the weekend, with another weekend day ahead of it—Sunday. Sunday is often enjoyed as a day of recreation and rest (some people call it Sunday Funday). But it comes with a catch: it’s followed by Monday, which is famously disliked due to being the first day of the workweek. (This feeling of dread over the weekend ending is sometimes called the Sunday scaries.)The word Sundays can be used as an adverb meaning every Sunday or on Sundays, as in I work Sundays or The shop is closed Sundays. To indicate the general time of day during which something will happen on a Sunday, the word can be followed by the general time, as in Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening, and Sunday night. Example: Sundays are bittersweet—I like relaxing, but in the back of my mind I’m worrying about the coming workweek.