festival
Americannoun
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festivals
plural
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a day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances.
the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival.
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a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration.
an annual strawberry festival.
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a period or program of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment.
a music festival.
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gaiety; revelry; merrymaking.
adjective
noun
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a day or period set aside for celebration or feasting, esp one of religious significance
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any occasion for celebration, esp one which commemorates an anniversary or other significant event
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an organized series of special events and performances, usually in one place
a festival of drama
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archaic a time of revelry; merrymaking
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(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
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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:
The festival is considered an auspicious time to make new purchases, which many believe bring prosperity and good fortune.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The film opened days ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which celebrates Ram's return to Ayodhya after his exile.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Actors Matt Rife and Owen Wilson of “Rolling Loud: The Movie” look back at the chaos of filming at a real-life music festival.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Backstage at the Daisy Chain Fields festival in Irvine in August, Devon Johanningmeier was surrounded by legends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
I’ve been dancing in this festival since I was little, but this part always feels the same: stomach somersaults and trembly legs.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
Regarded as one of the pioneers of British grime music, he has gone on to draw enormous crowds at festivals like Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds - not to mention his millions of monthly listeners.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Atkins continued to tour and play prominent festivals like Detroit’s Movement and Amsterdam’s Dekmantel, often with his daughter, the musician Milan Ariel Atkins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Nia's second album was shortlisted for the Mercury Awards, she headlined Bristol festival Love Saves the Day in 2025 and had also played a number of the biggest festivals in the UK, including Glastonbury.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
In addition to the music and wellness festivals, events to pitch retail investors, financial advisers and family offices are happening at five-star hotels in Beverly Hills, Sonoma wine country retreats, holiday parties and steakhouse dinners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
I have a fondness for the traditional harvest festivals, superstitions and all.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
