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View synonyms for weekend

weekend

[ week-end, -end ]

noun

  1. the end of a week, especially the period of time between Friday evening and Monday morning:

    We spent the weekend at Virginia Beach.

  2. this period as extended by one or more holidays, days off, or the like, that immediately precede or follow:

    We're getting a three-day weekend at Christmas.

  3. any two-day period taken or given regularly as a weekly rest period from one's work:

    I have to work at the hospital on Saturdays and Sundays, so I take my weekends on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.



adjective

  1. of, for, or on a weekend:

    a weekend pass; a weekend excursion.

verb (used without object)

  1. to pass the weekend, as at a place:

    They weekended at their country place.

weekend

noun

    1. the end of the week, esp the period from Friday night until the end of Sunday
    2. ( as modifier )

      a weekend party

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. informal.
    intr to spend or pass a weekend
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of weekend1

First recorded in 1875–80; week + end 1
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Example Sentences

Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled over the weekend that appropriations decisions might be deferred to early 2025.

From Salon

Pope Francis told an audience at the Vatican that the teenager would be made a miracle during the weekend beginning 26 April.

From BBC

The Premier League returns this weekend - for its first properly undisrupted run of the season.

From BBC

Gatland has overseen a record 11 successive Test match defeats, and another loss this weekend would see Wales go a calendar year without winning a Test for the first time since 1937.

From BBC

They spend weekends and evenings after work searching for her, and vow to go door to door until they reach every house in the San Fernando Valley to find her, Sidhu said.

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More About Weekend

What does weekend mean?

The weekend is most commonly considered the period between Friday evening and the end of Sunday.

More strictly speaking, the weekend is thought to consist of Saturday and Sunday (often regardless of whether the calendar week is considered to begin on Sunday or Monday).

In practical terms, the weekend is typically considered to be the period between the end of the workweek (or school week) and the beginning of a new one—which is why most people consider their weekend to start on Friday night, after work or school.

Of course, not everyone works a Monday-to-Friday schedule. A person who normally works on the weekend (on Saturday and Sunday) will probably consider any two-day stretch that they don’t have to work as their weekend.

Any additional days off on either side of a weekend are often considered part of the weekend. For example, a day off for a holiday on Friday or Monday will result in a three-day weekend. Or you could take off on Monday and Tuesday for a long weekend.

Weekend can also be used as an adjective in reference to something that happens on a weekend (as in a weekend session), lasts only for a weekend (as in a weekend trip), or only applies during a weekend (as in weekend hours).

Much less commonly, weekend can be used as a verb meaning to spend a weekend somewhere, as in We like to weekend in the Hamptons. This sense can sound a bit fancy or even pretentious (the same thing can be said about summer when it’s used as a verb).

The word weekends can be used as an adverb meaning every weekend or on or during weekends, as in I work weekends, so I always miss my son’s Saturday games.

Example: I spent the weekend at the beach, but now I have to go back to work.

Where does weekend come from?

The word weekend has been in use in some form since at least the 1600s. There are no commonly used words to refer to the beginning of the week, but the word midweek refers to the middle of the week, roughly from Tuesday morning to Thursday night.

It may be a matter of debate when the week actually ends—is it Saturday night? Sunday night? But most people consider their workweek to end when they finish working on Friday. And as soon as they stop working, that’s usually when the weekend is thought to begin.

The weekend is usually thought of as a time for rest, relaxation, leisure activities, and otherwise doing whatever you want to do. Common questions on Monday morning include “How was your weekend?” and “What did you do this weekend?”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to weekend

  • weekends (plural noun, present tense verb, adverb)
  • weekended (past tense verb)
  • weekending (continuous tense verb)

What are some words that share a root or word element with weekend

What are some words that often get used in discussing weekend?

How is weekend used in real life?

The word weekend is usually associated with fun and relaxation due to being a period of free time when people can do the things they want to do (as opposed to having to work). For this reason, most people look forward to the weekend.

 

 

Try using weekend!

True or False? 

The weekend is only ever thought to consist of Saturday and Sunday.

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