celebration
Americannoun
-
celebrations
plural
-
the act of celebrating.
We want to do something special in celebration of Amy’s great new job.
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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
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.
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:
The Sunday parade hasn't started yet, but the music is already pumping, and plenty of people are dancing, already covered in paint from J'ouvert, the traditional early-morning celebration which kicks off Sunday's festivities.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Having recently completed a $7.5 million restoration project, Fallingwater is throwing what it calls a 90th-anniversary celebration on Aug. 29.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
On Halloween night in 1995, the musical comedy aired on TV for the first time, as part of a celebration on VH1.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Werro's trademark celebration, in which she mimics outstretched claws, is in honour of her father's advice to channel the spirit of a lion on the track after her judged her too timid in childhood races.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
After a night of celebration, Ellsberg and Russo answered questions at a packed press conference the next morning.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
While JPLers are already planning their celebrations, Roman coronagraph project manager Feng Zhao said the team won’t truly be able to relax “anytime soon.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
“Balloons are an important traffic driver for that business, and when customers come in for balloons, they often purchase other items for celebrations and events,” CEO Mike Creedon said on the retailer’s earnings call.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 30, 2026
During papal assignments, he submits possible designs and fabric swatches to the Vatican office that organises masses and other papal celebrations, the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
The NFL’s campaign to promote its new season promises lots of the same elaborate end zone celebrations that the league once banned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Running to the spacecraft, he hugged Landing Strut B. After a few moments, he broke off the embrace to perform another round of leaping celebrations.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
