festival

[fes-tuh-vuhl]

noun

1. a day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances.

   the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival.

2. a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration.

   an annual strawberry festival.

3. a period or program of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment.

   a music festival.

4. gaiety; revelry; merrymaking.

adjective

1. festal.

   a festival atmosphere of unrestrained joy.

festival

/ ˈfɛstɪvəl /

noun

1. a day or period set aside for celebration or feasting, esp one of religious significance

2. any occasion for celebration, esp one which commemorates an anniversary or other significant event

3. an organized series of special events and performances, usually in one place

   a festival of drama

4. archaic,  a time of revelry; merrymaking

5. (modifier) relating to or characteristic of a festival

Other Word Forms

• prefestival noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of festival¹

1300–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin fēstivālis ( diēs ) holy (day). See festive, -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of festival¹

C14: from Church Latin fēstivālis of a feast, from Latin festīvus _festive

Example Sentences

The pledge obligates actors, directors and producers not to screen films, appear in or work with what it considers complicit institutions, including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

In the end, some 1,200 men, women and children would be slaughtered by Hamas—at Be’eri and other kibbutzim, and at an open-air music festival—and 251 hostages taken to Gaza.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

He appeared on video before the rapper Doechii’s set at the Outside Lands music festival, and again in mascot form at a Golden State Valkyries game, where fans erupted and started an alligator “chomp.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Cooper and her team this June used the annual Cannes Lions ad festival to pitch their nascent agency to brands.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The effort called for a boycott of Israeli film festivals, institutions and projects to help spur an end to the war in Gaza.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anniversary 
• commemoration 
• competition 
• fair 
• feast 
• gala 
• holiday