carol
noun
a song, especially of joy.
carol
1 American
[kar-uhl]
/ ˈkær əl /
noun
-
carols
plural
-
a song, especially of joy.
-
a Christmas song or hymn.
-
a seat in a bay window or oriel.
-
a compartment in a cloister, similar to a carrel.
-
a kind of circular dance.
verb (used without object)
-
carols,
present (3rd person singular)
-
caroled,
past participle, past
-
carolled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
caroling,
present participle
-
carolling
present participle (especially British)
-
to sing Christmas songs or hymns, especially in a group performing in a public place or going from house to house.
-
to sing, especially in a lively, joyous manner; warble.
verb (used with object)
-
carols,
present (3rd person singular)
-
caroled,
past participle, past
-
carolled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
caroling,
present participle
-
carolling
present participle (especially British)
-
to sing joyously.
-
to praise or celebrate in song.
Carol
2
American
[kar-uhl]
/ ˈkær əl /
noun
Carol.
3
American
abbreviation
carol
British
/ ˈkærəl /
noun
-
a joyful hymn or religious song, esp one (a Christmas carol ) celebrating the birth of Christ
-
archaic an old English circular dance
verb
-
(intr) to sing carols at Christmas
-
to sing (something) in a joyful manner
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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carolernoun
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carolingnoun
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outcarolverb (used with object)
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uncaroledadjective
-
uncarolledadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
carolsimple
-
carolssimple
-
have caroledperfect
-
have carolledperfect
-
has caroledperfect
-
has carolledperfect
-
am carolingprogressive
-
am carollingprogressive
-
are carolingprogressive
-
are carollingprogressive
-
is carolingprogressive
-
is carollingprogressive
-
have been carolingperfect progressive
-
have been carollingperfect progressive
-
has been carolingperfect progressive
-
has been carollingperfect progressive
Past
-
caroledsimple
-
carolledsimple
-
had caroledperfect
-
had carolledperfect
-
was carolingprogressive
-
was carollingprogressive
-
were carolingprogressive
-
were carollingprogressive
-
had been carolingperfect progressive
-
had been carollingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of carol
1250–1300; Middle English carole ring, circle (of stones), enclosed place for study ( see carrel), ringdance with song (hence, song) < Anglo-French carole, Old French *corole (compare Old Provençal corola ), apparently < Latin corolla garland ( see corolla), conflated with Latin choraula < Greek choraúlēs piper for choral dance, equivalent to chor ( ós ) chorus + -aulēs, derivative of aulós pipe
Explanation
A carol is a religious song that's sung around Christmas time. In some towns, people who celebrate Christmas go to neighbors' houses and sing carols. The most well-known carols are Christmas carols, but word applies to other religious songs as well. Various hymns and folk songs are sometimes called carols, and you can use the word as a verb to mean "sing a carol." In the 14th century, carol meant "to sing," but also "to dance in a ring," from the Old French carole, "ring dance accompanied by singers," probably from the Greek khoraules, "flute player who accompanies the dance."
Vocabulary lists containing carol
Joy To The Word: Christmas Terms
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Let's Go Caroling, List 3
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The School for Good and Evil
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In front of Christmas trees originally used for the Princess of Wales's carol concert at the Abbey, he spoke of the importance of community cohesion and bridging divides.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025
Britain's Princess Catherine and her daughter Charlotte have teamed up to perform a piano duet in a prerecorded clip for a Wednesday replay of a Christmas carol service.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte have performed a piano duet together for a Christmas carol service.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
The King will be seen standing in front of Christmas trees which were brought to decorate the Abbey for the Princess of Wales's carol concert held earlier this month.
From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2025
Caroline did most of the talking, singing a snatch of this or that to remind Grandma of a carol she claimed never to have heard before.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
When he took over as interim president in 2025, upon the departure of Carol Folt, Kim immediately confronted the university’s financial crisis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Following upside data surprises this week, market participants will closely watch” his fireside chat for any signals regarding the Fed’s October meeting, CBA’s Carol Kong says in a research report.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
That’s the potentially awkward situation UPS CEO Carol Tomé faced when she examined the company’s business with Amazon, she recalled on the latest episode of WSJ Leadership Institute Presents: Leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Presenter Carol Vorderman said she was "humbled and excited" to receive an award for outstanding contribution, while Lauren Evans took home an award for her contribution to the film I Swear.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
She and Carol Lee might work at the Waffle House this summer.
From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor
A waiter friend said, “You have nothing to complain about, Carol. You found your soul mate, the love of your life. The rest of us may never find what you have.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 4, 2022
At times, she recalled, she would advocate for an individual to be released, and a fellow board member would respond, “He’s playing you, Carol. He’s got your number.”
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 25, 2019
Carol enjoyed something of a return to “I am Carol. Do not fudge with Carol” mode too.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 12, 2017
“When I call your name, come stand behind the table if you’re with me, or go over by the door if you’re with Carol. Got it?”
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Walt Whitman wrote that he heard America singing in the carols of mechanics, carpenters, and shoemakers building our country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
Earlier, the King led the Royals in celebrating the high point of the festive season with a service of Christmas carols and prayers at St Mary Magdalene Church on Charles's private Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025
Girl Scouts sing carols as onlookers sip cocoa at the annual lighting ceremony.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2025
The dazzling display of lights, accompanied by religious and festive imagery and soundtracked by Filipino rap and Christmas carols, is part of the annual Giant Lantern Festival.
From Barron's ● Dec. 19, 2025
The first hint of it was Mr. Morton going around the schools teaching Christmas carols, but the first sure sign was the store windows.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
“For he’s a jolly good patient, for he’s a jolly good patient, for he’s a jolly good patient, which no one can deny!” the staff caroled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2022
Crystal’s uncle, a professional Santa, was at home with the sniffles, but the group still caroled before perplexed motorists.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 24, 2016
For want of glitzy decorations, flowers adorn communal areas and hymns are caroled with great gusto.
From Time ● Dec. 25, 2013
Since the beginning of the war, Britain's soldiers have doggedly caroled two onetime U.S. favorites, the Beer Barrel Polka and South of the Border.
From Time Magazine Archive
And then, from the tall pines and birches that ringed the pond, a wood thrush caroled.
From "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbit
He’s made personal appearances at Atlanta Braves games and carolled with the Falcons.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 19, 2019
After a prima donna had carolled the National Anthem, John F. Hylan, Mayor of New York, gave the "Caseys" the freedom of the City in one of his famed welcome-speeches.
From Time Magazine Archive
Feathered songsters carolled in the woods behind us, and before us the heath-lark's love-strains swelled, answering each other from the juniper-bushes.
From The Danes Sketched by Themselves. Vol. I (of 3) A Series of Popular Stories by the Best Danish Authors by Various
It was a beautiful morning in August: the larks carolled in the air, and the robins shrilled in the brakes.
From Black Forest Village Stories by Berthold Auerbach
A redbird carolled to its mate in the top of a wayside elm, and she laughed like a child.
From Clover and Blue Grass by Eliza Calvert Hall
At the previous luncheon, Rice had pledged to send GEO employees Christmas caroling across town; he even gave Mayor LaDawn Edwards $300.
From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2025
Instead of caroling and ringing church bells, the most prominent sounds on Christmastide were now town criers calling: "No Christmas! No Christmas!"
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2024
Further down along the coast in the New England-styled town of Seabrook, Jolly Days start on November 24 with a holiday tree lighting and caroling, and extend through December 16.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2023
When a group of friends and neighbors on a Pacific Northwest island go caroling, they create an amusing cacophony: Warbling in mismatched tones and keys, they stand next to each other but not together.
From New York Times ● Jun. 9, 2023
We walked around the outside of the cell house caroling, so I didn’t actually see Capone this time, but I’m almost sure I heard him call out, ‘Sweet as a songbird.’
From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko
No carolling, no parties and even Germany's much loved glühwein stalls will close, as drinking outdoors is banned.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2020
Marjorie also waltzes through the Winfields’ kitchen, during the preparation of Thanksgiving dinner, carolling “Ain’t We Got Fun?”
From The New Yorker ● May 14, 2019
How is the Ghost of Christmas Past able to change Scrooge’s mind—to make him feel affection and pity for the carolling urchin?
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 24, 2015
Which poet is carolling a “Song on May Morning”?
From The Guardian ● May 21, 2012
“I have heard her carolling like a bird.”
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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