Juneteenth National Independence Day

noun

variants or less commonly Juneteenth Independence Day
: June 19 observed as a legal holiday in the United States in commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. : juneteenth

Note: Juneteenth National Independence Day became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021. The holiday is also called Black Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Jubilee Day.

Examples of Juneteenth National Independence Day 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.
In 2021, then-President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 June 2025 President Biden in 2021 signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, establishing a federal holiday on the date. Todd Spangler, Variety, 20 June 2025 In 2021, Biden signed into law a measure that made June 19, or Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. Called the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, the bill passed the House with overwhelming support and was approved by unanimous voice vote in the Senate. Melissa Quinn june 19, CBS News, 19 June 2025 On June 17, 2021, her hard work paid off, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making June 19 a federal holiday. Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025 Thanks to ongoing agitation and awareness-building — especially by activist Opal Lee, now 98 years old — President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021. Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 19 June 2025 Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday and technically Juneteenth National Independence Day, strikes us as a fine idea that all Americans can and should get behind. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025 And in June 2021, former President Biden signed into law an act that made Juneteenth National Independence Day a federal holiday. Jenny Singer, Glamour, 18 June 2025 Biden signed the bill into law on June 17, 2021, officially designating June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day. Andrea Wurzburger, People.com, 18 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Juneteenth National Independence Day was in 1989

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Cite this Entry

“Juneteenth National Independence Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Juneteenth%20National%20Independence%20Day. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

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