Synonyms

celebration

American

[sel-uh-bray-shuhn] / ˌsɛl əˈbreɪ ʃən /

noun

the act of celebrating.

We want to do something special in celebration of Amy’s great new job.
a party or other festive event for celebrating something.

Don’t you think the birthday celebrations for preschoolers in this neighborhood are a bit over the top?

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

celebrations

plural

Etymology

Origin of celebration

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin celebrātiōn- (stem of celebrātiō ) “large gathering, widespread use, celebration (of a festival)”; see celebrate, -ion

Explanation

A celebration is a joyful diversion. Your math class might have a celebration when you learn that the midterm has been postponed for a week. A celebration can be a festive party commemorating some joyous occasion, like your grandparents' fiftieth anniversary celebration or your brother's birthday celebration. It can also be a less formal marking of a happy event, like the arrival of your new puppy. Another meaning of celebration is a religious ceremony, such as communion or a bar mitzvah.

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Vocabulary lists containing celebration

Party Parlance for Mardi Gras

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Passover Vocabulary

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List 4

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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:

celebration celebrations

I often opt for a more casual birthday celebration, as I’ve always felt that group dinners in restaurants are overrated and overpriced, and they’re also not optimal for mingling.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

In June 2025, Sramek offered Suisun City a $55,000 grant for the local July 4 fireworks celebration and other events threatened by a budget shortfall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

"There's no real cause for celebration that we have to remember the price that was paid to get this decision over many years."

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

His fake beverage of choice for that particular celebration, Goncalves has said, was Coke.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Emma reached out, ready to pull Chess and Natalie into the celebration, too.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

If those celebrations aren’t quite justified, there’s still something to be learned from the ordeal, which digs into the so-called dead internet theory.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026

The launch is part of celebrations marking Zelda's 40th anniversary, alongside a global concert tour and a live-action film hitting cinemas next spring.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Additional initiatives, including 15 new Olympic and Paralympic murals and disability arts celebrations, depend on further funding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Head coach Enzo Maresca has reacted to criticism of Manchester City's celebrations after their victory at Liverpool by saying: "What do you want us to do?"

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

I did not want them to make a big deal because I expected that all the celebrations would just add to future bad memories.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023