Sunday

1 of 2

noun

Sun·​day ˈsən-(ˌ)dā How to pronounce Sunday (audio) -dē How to pronounce Sunday (audio)
: the first day of the week : the Christian analogue of the Jewish Sabbath
Sundays
ˈsən-(ˌ)dāz
-dēz How to pronounce Sunday (audio)
adverb

Sunday

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or associated with Sunday
2
[from the practice of wearing one's best clothes on Sunday to attend church] : best
Sunday suit
3
: amateur
Sunday painters

Examples of Sunday in a Sentence

Noun She visited me last Sunday. My birthday falls on a Sunday this year. Next week I'll arrive on Monday and leave on Sunday. I will leave on Sunday morning. Adjective a charity auction of works by some of the town's more socially prominent Sunday painters
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Pizza Roll is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024 The sheriff's office has asked that anyone with information about Hutchinson's whereabouts from when he was last seen until Sunday to contact Sgt. Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2024 With the 2024 Academy Awards in the books, Variety is celebrating the Oscar wins of the stars and filmmaking talent that took home gold at the ceremony Sunday evening. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Before Nolan walked away with the Oscars for best director and best picture Sunday night, Yamazaki made history by giving the Godzilla franchise — which began over 70 years ago in Japan — its very first Oscar win, beating out four Hollywood tentpoles in the best visual effects category. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 On Sunday, Saudi Aramco reported that 2023 profits plummeted 25% to $121.3 billion after a record-shattering $161.1 billion net income in 2022. Matt Egan, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 On Sunday night, the Times’ Buchanan defended the choice for Gladstone to campaign in the leading actress category. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Greta Gerwig’s Barbie entered Sunday's Oscars ceremony with eight nominations. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The holiday is supposed to occur on the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English sunnandæg (akin to Old High German sunnūntag), from sunne sun + dæg day

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Sunday was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Sunday

Cite this Entry

“Sunday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sunday. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Sunday

1 of 2 noun
Sun·​day ˈsən-dē How to pronounce Sunday (audio)
: the first day of the week : the Christian Sabbath

Sunday

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or associated with Sunday
2
: best entry 1 sense 1
Sunday suit
Etymology

Noun

Old English sunnandæg "Sunday," from sunne "sun" + dæg "day"

Word Origin
It was believed in ancient times that there were seven "planets," including the sun and the moon. The days of the week were named in Latin for these "planets." One of the days was named dies solis, meaning "day of the sun." The Latin name was later translated into other languages. Dies solis became sunnandæg in Old English. The modern English Sunday comes from the Old English sunnandæg.

Biographical Definition

Sunday

biographical name

Sun·​day ˈsən-dē How to pronounce Sunday (audio)
William Ashley 1862–1935 Billy Sunday American evangelist

More from Merriam-Webster on Sunday

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