Bastille Day

noun

: July 14 observed in France as a national holiday in commemoration of the fall of the Bastille in 1789

Examples of Bastille Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The announcement was made in France’s official journal ahead of the country’s national Bastille Day celebrations. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 13 July 2025 In terms of openings on Wednesday, France was a No. 1 start at $1.3M including previews and ahead of a long weekend for Bastille Day; the debut is 3% above Thunderbolts and also over the most recent Venom and Aquaman movies (+8%). Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 11 July 2025 Trump mulled the idea of a military parade during his first term and said he was inspired by seeing a display for France’s national Bastille Day in Paris. Miriam Waldvogel, The Hill, 14 June 2025 He was inspired after attending the annual Bastille Day parade in France in 2017. Alana Wise, NPR, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Bastille Day

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Bastille Day was in 1837

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Cite this Entry

“Bastille Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bastille%20Day. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

Bastille Day

noun
Bas·​tille Day
ba-ˈstē(ə)l-
: July 14 observed in France as a national holiday in memory of the capture of the Parisian prison the Bastille by revolutionary forces in 1789

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