Halloween
noun
Hal·low·een
ˌha-lə-ˈwēn 
ˌhä-
ˌhä-
variants
or less commonly Hallowe'en
: October 31 observed especially with dressing up in disguise, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o'-lanterns during the evening
Examples of Halloween in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2016, for instance, Swift borrowed the Free Guy star’s actual costume to dress up as Deadpool for Halloween.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 July 2024
Or a glaze so ghostly it’d be better suited for my Halloween column (where things don’t always go as planned, either).
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 3 July 2024
Related Stories Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights Conjures ‘Ghostbusters’-Themed Haunted Houses In Hollywood And Orlando
‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Sets Cast
Reddick wrote the script with John Stancari, who passed away in 2018 after a long battle with cancer.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 July 2024
Their schtick is Halloween décor and horror movies.
—Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for Halloween 
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 July 2024
Or a glaze so ghostly it’d be better suited for my Halloween column (where things don’t always go as planned, either).
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 3 July 2024
Related Stories Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights Conjures ‘Ghostbusters’-Themed Haunted Houses In Hollywood And Orlando
‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Sets Cast
Reddick wrote the script with John Stancari, who passed away in 2018 after a long battle with cancer.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 July 2024
Their schtick is Halloween décor and horror movies.
—Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for Halloween
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Dictionary Entries Near Halloween
Cite this Entry
“Halloween.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Halloween. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Halloween
noun
Hal·low·een
ˌhal-ə-ˈwēn
ˌhäl-
ˌhäl-
: October 31 celebrated especially by wearing costumes, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o'-lanterns
Etymology
an altered form of All Hallow Even, the eve of All Saints' Day
Word Origin
Modern-day Christians know the first of November as All Saints' Day. In the Middle Ages it was called All Hallow Day. This was a hallowed or holy day celebrated in honor of all the saints in heaven. Since November 1 was a special holy day with a special name, the day before it had a special name as well. October 31 was called All Hallow Eve or All Hallow Even. The words eve and even were used both for the evening and the day before a special day. This name was sometimes written All Hallow E'en and later shortened to Halloween.
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