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.
No need to wait until Black Friday to snag some tech gadgets. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 30 June 2025 Cloud vendors may refuse needed features, and even a minute of downtime on Black Friday—even if within service-level agreement limits—can cost a fortune. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 The Chicago unit is slated for an October opening and the Pennsylvania store is expected to open right before Black Friday, said Chrissy Jackson, head of retail for Rhone. Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 27 June 2025 This season's schedule includes six holiday games, a Black Friday game and a few games on Saturday in December. Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 27 June 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Black Friday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Black%20Friday. Accessed 6 Jul. 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!