celebration

American

[sel-uh-brey-shuhn] / ˌsɛl əˈbreɪ ʃən /

noun

the act of celebrating.

We want to do something special in celebration of Amy’s great new job.
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

intercelebration noun
noncelebration noun
precelebration noun
recelebration noun

Etymology

Origin of celebration

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin celebrātiōn- (stem of celebrātiō ) “large gathering, widespread use, celebration (of a festival)”; celebrate, -ion

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.

It showed him on stage in 2016 during the Cavaliers’ championship celebration wearing a championship hat and white T-shirt, holding up one finger.

From Los Angeles Times

"It is a day of celebration for Mozambique, for Africa and for the world," Chapo said.

From Barron's

Some described his voice as "the sound of our heartbreaks and celebrations", while others called it "a presence in every corner of our lives".

From BBC

Inevitably, this season being what it is, there was a cloud over the celebrations, with summer signing Jeremie Frimpong once more struck down by a muscle injury, meaning he lasted less than two minutes.

From BBC

Huang, the Nvidia CEO, regularly visits China around this time of the year, ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations, to meet local employees and business partners.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023