Black Friday

noun

US
: the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving Day that is considered by retailers to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season

Note: The origin of Black Friday in this sense is not known for certain. The day was allegedly so named either in reference to traffic congestion in central cities on the day after Thanksgiving or to the supposed fact that retailers' accounts shifted from red to black with the beginning of the shopping season.

Examples of Black Friday in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Amazon Prime will get a wild card playoff game, the one that Peacock had last season, as well as Thursday games and another Black Friday game. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024 This is the lowest price AirPods have been since Black Friday 2023. —Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 8 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for Black Friday 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Black Friday.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Black Friday was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near Black Friday

black friar

Black Friday

black frost

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Black Friday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Black%20Friday. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

Black Friday

noun
: the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving that is considered by some retailers to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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