banquet

American  

[bang-kwit] / ˈbæŋ kwɪt /

noun

1. a lavish meal; feast.

2. a ceremonious public dinner, especially one honoring a person, benefiting a charity, etc.

---

verb (used with object)

banqueted, banqueting

1. to entertain or regale with a banquet.

   They banqueted the visiting prime minister in grand style.

verb (used without object)

banqueted, banqueting

1. to have or attend a banquet; feast.

   They banqueted on pheasant, wild boar, and three kinds of fish.

banquet British  

/ ˈbæŋkwɪt /

noun

1. a lavish and sumptuous meal; feast

2. a ceremonial meal for many people, often followed by speeches

---

verb

1. (intr) to hold or take part in a banquet

2. (tr) to entertain or honour (a person) with a banquet

Usage

What does banquet mean? A banquet is a feast, as in Theo likes to host banquets so he can cook all his favorite foods for others. A banquet is also a public dinner, often very fancy and benefiting a charity or celebrating a person, as in Mac likes to organize the sports banquet at the end of the year for all the school’s teams. A banquet is basically a feast for a lot of people. It’s a large, sumptuous meal during a ceremonious gathering. Banquets can be arranged to benefit a charity or to celebrate a specific person or group of people. To banquet means to entertain with a banquet or to have a banquet. You’ll often hear the phrase banqueting hall, which is a room, especially in large medieval buildings, that is big enough to hold a banquet. Example: Doreen hosted a banquet to raise money for a children’s charity.

Related Words

See feast.

Other Word Forms

• banqueteer noun
• banqueter noun

Etymology

Origin of banquet

First recorded in 1450–1500; from Middle French, from Italian banchetto ( banc(o) “table” ( see bank ²) + -etto -et ); replacing late Middle English bankat, banket(te), from Middle French

Explanation

It’s customary to celebrate Thanksgiving with a banquet, or elaborate feast — along with the requisite bickering between family members. If you sat down to a banquet in the earliest sense of this word, you’d surely be disappointed. Banquet comes from a French word meaning "bench," and originally a banquet was a small snack — something you could eat while sitting on a bench. If a particular family member isn’t cooperating at your next holiday meal, consider having him dine in this traditional fashion, on a bench somewhere far from the dining room table.

Example Sentences

After the speech to Congress, the monarch will be hosted at a banquet dinner in the White House’s Blue Room, where Trump and Charles will both make speeches to some 120 guests.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

The humble pretzel can be spotted, rather subtly, in a painting of a luxurious banquet.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

In a monologue, Kimmel portrayed himself as the MC of that upcoming banquet.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Ana Mendez, 43, who has worked as a banquet server at J.W.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

In the evening, he and I attended another banquet with the generals and dignitaries.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• feast
• festivity
• meal
• reception