extravaganza

American  

[ik-strav-uh-gan-zuh] / ɪkˌstræv əˈgæn zə /

noun

• extravaganzas
  plural

1. a musical or dramatic composition or production, as comic opera or musical comedy, marked by a loose structure, a frivolous theme, and elaborate costuming and staging.

2. any lavish or opulent show, event, assemblage, etc..

   an extravaganza of new housewares on the twelfth floor.

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extravaganza British  

/ ɪkˌstrævəˈɡænzə /

noun

1. an elaborately staged and costumed light entertainment

2. any lavish or fanciful display, literary or other composition, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• extravaganzas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of extravaganza

1745–55; alteration of Italian ( e ) stravaganza extravagance

Explanation

Halftime at the Super Bowl, the Oscar awards ceremony, or the opera Aida performed at the Baths of Caracalla — each of these is an extravaganza, a big, splashy, extravagant entertainment or celebration. The word extravaganza comes from the Italian word estravaganza (or stravaganza), which was an elaborate literary or musical production. When the word appeared in English in the mid-18th century, English speakers turned the estra- into extra- because after all, an elaborate entertainment could certainly be called something "extra." Aida at the Baths of Caracalla, complete with horses, astonishing costumes, and faux-Egyptian temples — now that's an extravaganza.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

extravaganza extravaganzas

Then there’s a much bigger question, which my colleague Bill Shaikin explored in 2022: Is the gondola phase one of a plan to develop stadium property into some kind of Dodgertown commercial extravaganza?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

He has floated the idea of trying a residency instead of a multicity extravaganza.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

We lived next door to a police officer who often helped dad produce our summer extravaganza.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

Bulgaria won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna in May with Dara's catchy floor-filler "Bangaranga" sweeping the 70th edition of the glitzy TV extravaganza, meaning they will get to host next year's edition.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

She imagined a colorful extravaganza with bands and floats and thousands of marchers from all over the country, an event so bold and beautiful that it would demand notice from federal legislators.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

This was also the heyday of traveling extravaganzas like Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West shows, which featured hundreds of performers re-enacting frontier battles and showing off their hunting and sharpshooting skills.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

The brand, valued at $1bn, became known for its runway extravaganzas, reminiscent of a modern alternative to the iconic Victoria's Secret shows, but this time with every body type on display.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2025

But it’s worth noting that the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 will hold their football media extravaganzas in July, before the 10 schools are actually members.

From Seattle Times ● May 20, 2024

There’s a fascinatingly wide array of big titles leaving Netflix in the United States in March — everything from kiddie cartoons to star-heavy dramas to action extravaganzas.

From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024

In fact they cared not at all about the war, about scientific inventions, about the advance of industry, the price of gold, or the latest extravaganzas in the world of fashion.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

• pageant
• spectacular