or the Lord's-day, a solemn festival observed by Christians on the first day of every week, in memory of our Savior's resurrection.

This is the principal and most noted of the Christian festivals, and was observed with great veneration in the ancient church, from the time of the apostles, who themselves are often said to have met on that day for divine service. It is likewise called the Sabbath-day, as being substituted in the room of the Jewish sabbath. See Sabbath.

The ancients retained the name Sunday, or dies solis, in compliance with the ordinary forms of speech, the first day of the week being so called by the Romans, because it was dedicated to the worship of the sun.