carnival

[kahr-nuh-vuhl]

noun

1. a traveling amusement show, having sideshows, rides, etc.

2. any merrymaking, revelry, or festival, as a program of sports or entertainment.

   a winter carnival.

   Synonyms: holiday, fete, celebration, fair

3. the season immediately preceding Lent, often observed with merrymaking; Shrovetide.

carnival

/ ˈkɑːnɪvəl /

noun

1. 1. a festive occasion or period marked by merrymaking, processions, etc: esp in some Roman Catholic countries, the period just before Lent

   2. ( as modifier )

      a carnival atmosphere

2. a travelling fair having merry-go-rounds, etc

3. a show or display arranged as an amusement

4. a sports meeting

Other Word Forms

• carnivalesque adjective
• carnivallike adjective
• precarnival adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of carnival¹

1540–50; < Italian carnevale, Old Italian carnelevare taking meat away, equivalent to carne flesh (< Latin carnem, accusative of caro ) + levare < Latin levāre to lift

Word History and Origins

Origin of carnival¹

C16: from Italian carnevale, from Old Italian carnelevare a removing of meat (referring to the Lenten fast)

Example Sentences

Body camera from one of the officers, also released Tuesday by the department, shows the crash occurred just outside a carnival, where witnesses began to yell and urge officers to do something.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It is thought more than 100,000 people from all over the world have been in Derry this week for its now world-famous carnival.

Read more on BBC

An 83-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man were killed in the attack, which took place as visitors were flocking to a carnival market in the area with food stalls, rides and games.

Read more on Barron's

The massive rallies turned out to be peaceful – a carnival, not carnage.

Read more on BBC

Another driver was killed in a collision with police on May 26 in North Hollywood, followed by the most recent fatal crash, on Sept. 19 near a community carnival in Highland Park.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What is Carnival?

Carnival, with a capital C, refers to the multiple-day period of merrymaking before the start of Lent. It is especially associated with the massive street festival held annually in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is famous for its big parades, ornate costumes, and samba dancing.Carnival is also celebrated in many other countries, especially those with large Catholic populations, including Italy, Spain, France, and Germany (where it is called Fasching).The equivalent pre-Lent celebration in the U.S. (especially New Orleans) and some other places is known as Mardi Gras.In religious contexts, the three-day period before Lent is known as Shrovetide. Carnival is part of a tradition of indulging before the Lenten fast, but it is not a Christian holiday.Carnival is also sometimes spelled Carnaval.