Bacchanalia

[bak-uh-ney-lee-uh, -neyl-yuh]

noun

plural

Bacchanalia, Bacchanalias 

1. (sometimes used with a plural verb),  a festival in honor of Bacchus.

2. (lowercase),  a drunken feast; orgy.

bacchanalia

/ ˌbækəˈneɪlɪə /

plural noun

1. (often capital) orgiastic rites associated with Bacchus

2. any drunken revelry

Other Word Forms

• bacchanalian adjective
• bacchanalianism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bacchanalia¹

1625–35; < Latin equivalent to Bacch ( us ) + -ān ( us ) -an + -ālia, neuter plural of -ālis -al ¹; probably modeled on volcānālia. See Saturnalia

Example Sentences

While fatherhood has slowed my nightlife habits, judging by the gondola banter of a quintet of seasonal employees regaling the night prior’s exploits, the Bacchanalia is back.

From Seattle Times

More than anything, Bacchanalia feels like a dare to everyone in Britain who is not dining at Bacchanalia.

From New York Times

"This is just some kind of total godless Bacchanalia. There is no justification or explanation for this. And there cannot be," Zakharova said on Sputnik radio.

From Reuters

In a nod to the annual Bacchanalia party, a faculty member dressed in a toga and greeted a similarly clad senior who launched the revelry.

From Washington Post

After finishing Georgetown the following year, she moved to Atlanta, where she became a pastry cook at the farm-to-table dining destination Bacchanalia, “the moment that truly changed the course of my career and life.”

From Washington Post

Related Words

• binge 
• celebration 
• orgy 
• rampage