carnival

American  

[kahr-nuh-vuhl] / ˈkɑr nə vəl /

noun

• carnivals
  plural

1. a traveling amusement show, having sideshows, rides, etc.

2. any merrymaking, revelry, or festival, as a program of sports or entertainment.

   a winter carnival.

   Synonyms:

   holiday, fete, celebration, fair

3. the season immediately preceding Lent, often observed with merrymaking; Shrovetide.

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carnival British  

/ ˈkɑːnɪvəl /

noun

1. 1. a festive occasion or period marked by merrymaking, processions, etc: esp in some Roman Catholic countries, the period just before Lent

   2. ( as modifier )

      a carnival atmosphere

2. a travelling fair having merry-go-rounds, etc

3. a show or display arranged as an amusement

4. a sports meeting

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Usage

What is Carnival? Carnival, with a capital C, refers to the multiple-day period of merrymaking before the start of Lent. It is especially associated with the massive street festival held annually in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is famous for its big parades, ornate costumes, and samba dancing. Carnival is also celebrated in many other countries, especially those with large Catholic populations, including Italy, Spain, France, and Germany (where it is called Fasching). The equivalent pre-Lent celebration in the U. S. (especially New Orleans) and some other places is known as Mardi Gras. In religious contexts, the three-day period before Lent is known as Shrovetide. Carnival is part of a tradition of indulging before the Lenten fast, but it is not a Christian holiday. Carnival is also sometimes spelled Carnaval.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• carnivalesque
  adjective
• carnivallike
  adjective
• precarnival
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• carnivals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of carnival

1540–50; < Italian carnevale, Old Italian carnelevare taking meat away, equivalent to carne flesh (< Latin carnem, accusative of caro ) + levare < Latin levāre to lift

Compare meaning

How does carnival compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• carnival vs. Mardi Gras

Explanation

If you have an annual festival going on in your neighborhood that involves live music, street vendors, and games, you could call that a carnival. The word carnival originally referred to a public festival involving general merriment and feasting, often taking place on the street and frequently associated with a religious holiday. Later the word’s meaning broadened to refer to a traveling show that offers similar activities, like a winter carnival or a fair. Nowadays the word carnival is also used figuratively to refer to something characterized by raucous disorder. If, for example, your coworkers ended up heckling your CEO at a company meeting, you could describe the scene as a carnival (although you would most likely NOT see any cotton candy in the board room).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carnival carnivals

The Maryville coach chose “spoofhounds” after the ugly, plaster of Paris dog from a recent carnival.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

He latched onto them and followed them to the carnival.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Victorious Spanish fans and mournful Argentinians brought the World Cup carnival back to the heart of New York for their blockbuster clash Sunday, reigniting fervor that had dipped with the US exit.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

It is 1958, nine years since Dennis first entered the Great When, an alternate metropolis where the city’s historical eras flow past one another in “an exotic carnival of moments.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

“Yeah, well. Them cakes ain’t for me. They’re for the carnival, for the World-Famous Betty Allen Cake Raffle.”

From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo

By the early 1990s, some crews in the U.K. began throwing megaraves more spiritually akin to experiential carnivals than to more lowkey dance-floor-and-DJ setups.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Families popped it over wood stoves; peddlers sold it in paper cones at circuses, carnivals and busy promenades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

The incident comes at a time of heightened security as outdoor carnivals linked to Easter celebrations are held across Germany.

From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2025

In 1996, a Connecticut town instituted a ban on Silly String at carnivals, parades and other public events, punishable by a fine of up to $99.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2024

“I checked the occult bookstores, the spooky carnivals, the abandoned cemeteries, and all the obscure and little-trafficked corners of the city. Nothing!”

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood