festival
Americannoun
-
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
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.
In a statement, the duo previously said they were "incredibly excited" to headline the festival.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Ateez will be the third K-pop group to top the bill of the London festival, with Blackpink taking to the stage in 2023, followed by Stray Kids in 2024.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Michoacán is known for its annual Day of the Dead celebrations, and Manzo had spent weeks readying the city’s festival of lights.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
“In this moment in time, the community has been attacked in many ways, and so the last thing we needed was for a festival that everybody enjoyed to be canceled.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
Sara’s mom explains that we’re supposed to come up with special recipes for the festival.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
