festival
Americannoun
-
festivals
plural
-
a day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances.
the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival.
-
a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration.
an annual strawberry festival.
-
a period or program of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment.
a music festival.
-
gaiety; revelry; merrymaking.
adjective
noun
-
a day or period set aside for celebration or feasting, esp one of religious significance
-
any occasion for celebration, esp one which commemorates an anniversary or other significant event
-
an organized series of special events and performances, usually in one place
a festival of drama
-
archaic a time of revelry; merrymaking
-
(modifier) relating to or characteristic of a festival
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of festival
1300–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin fēstivālis ( diēs ) holy (day). See festive, -al 1
Explanation
A festival might be an all-day series of music performances or a weekend of short plays or films. Any program made up of many different acts, especially lasting an entire day or several days, can be called a festival. Another meaning of the word festival is "big party," again most often a celebration that lasts for a long period of time. Some festivals are religious, and others are seasonal or cultural, like a city's Italian Heritage Festival. Some famous festivals include the Fringe Festival in Scotland, Carnivale in Brazil, Oktoberfest in Germany and Burning Man in the United States. You could travel the world as a festival hopper.
Vocabulary lists containing festival
It's Lit: Hanukkah Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Party Parlance for Mardi Gras
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Aztec, Maya, and Inca Empires - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
In Madera, organizers postponed the third annual Oaxacan Guelaguetza festival, amid growing fears, according to the group’s Facebook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The Weston Foyer's displays are tied to the Globe's events programme, which this month includes a Shakespeare and race festival.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
It was removed from a sports photography festival in the northern French town of Deauville before a court ordered it reinstated.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
Arriving in theaters this fall after multiple splashy film festival premieres, it announces the 38-year-old actress, best known for playing a bedraggled spy in the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses, as a potential Oscar contender.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Friday, I spend every minute I’m not in class working on a handout for the festival.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
He suggested buying a tent with the store’s logo to stand out at food festivals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
“Do we want to be like the one or two other punk festivals in this country that’s almost all Southern California bands? No.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The downtown dance party featuring electronic music by John Summit this spring wasn’t the typical all-nighter for Carson Gillaspia, a content creator who enjoys going to festivals and raves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Major cultural events in the region were also called off, including the Global Citizen and All Things Go festivals in New York, and Oceans Calling in Maryland.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
I’ve seen live dancers before, at folklore festivals in Port-au-Prince and Les Cayes.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
