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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
Remedying this, Psycho Bunny decided to undergo a large-scale technology transformation just a couple weeks before Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2022, which included launching on Fluent Commerce’s order management system as well as replacing its warehouse management system.
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Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 17 Feb. 2025
Think of it as the Black Friday of the cruise industry.
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Hannah Freedman, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2025
Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including Prime Video, Whole Foods Market, exclusive shopping events — like Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.
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Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
It’s joined the ranks of Black Friday and Prime Day as one of the best days of the year to score discounts on sleep essentials like pillows, comforters, sheets, and more.
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Abbey Stone, SELF, 13 Feb. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1961, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Black Friday
Cite this Entry
“Black Friday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Black%20Friday. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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
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