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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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. Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 17 Feb. 2025 Think of it as the Black Friday of the cruise industry. 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. 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. Abbey Stone, SELF, 13 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for Black Friday 

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

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!