celebration

[sel-uh-brey-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR celebration ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an act of celebrating.

the festivities engaged in to celebrate something.

Origin of celebration

1520–30; < Latin celebrātiōn- (stem of celebrātiō) big assembly. See celebrate, -ion

Related formsin·ter·cel·e·bra·tion, nounnon·cel·e·bra·tion, nounpre·cel·e·bra·tion, nounre·cel·e·bra·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for celebration

Contemporary Examples of celebration

The moment came where newly graduated cops customarily toss their white gloves into the air in celebration.
Cop Families Boo De Blasio at NYPD Graduation
Michael Daly
December 30, 2014
The prison camp island nation known as Cuba erupted in celebration.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro
Doug McIntyre
December 24, 2014
The resulting photographs are a celebration, bringing to life the peerless spirit embodied by The Macallan.
The Restaurant, Flask, And Photography Worthy of The Macallan Whisky
December 16, 2014
In celebration of the darkest of Black Fridays, she just released a new single, “Pietà.”
Is Bigger Better for St. Vincent?
David Yaffe
December 4, 2014
There is no celebration too small for a little bit of bubbly.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Carrie Bradshaw in Your Life
Allison McNearney
November 29, 2014

Historical Examples of celebration

No woman was allowed to enter Olympia, during the celebration of the games.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
At Antwerp, he happened to arrive at the celebration of the fête in honour of Rubens.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
Mr. Cross and I bore our small part in the celebration in silence for a time.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic
So, when you guessed at the date, and told parson to have the celebration then, you got it right?
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown
So time went on to the very eve of the celebration, and it was as well that the celebration had never been.
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown

Word Origin and History for celebration

1520s, "honoring of a day or season by appropriate festivities," formed in English from celebrate, or else from Latin celebrationem (nominative celebratio) "numerous attendance" (especially upon a festival celebration), noun of action from past participle stem of celebrare. Meaning "performance of a religious ceremony" (especially the Eucharist) is from 1570s; that of "extolling in speeches, etc." is from 1670s.