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:
The festival is considered an auspicious time to make new purchases, which many believe bring prosperity and good fortune.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 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
"Panag-aapoy is a sacred cultural tradition, NOT a festival or a tourism event," the Philippine tourism ministry said in a seasonal advisory.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 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
Instead of burning up, though, the bills only turn as shimmery as everything else in the festival.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Inspired by ecstatic nights at music festivals, it rejects anxiety in favour of what Bono calls "defiant joy".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
In 2014, when he got laid off, Sonia-Wallace experimented with making a living from poetry by writing at farmers markets, festivals and the Venice Beach boardwalk — and accepting tips.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Former Top Gear star Richard Hammond says he has swapped vintage cars for food festivals and running as he settles into life in a Welsh market town.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
We were moving to release that and put it into the fall festivals.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
Yearly festivals were held in honor of the migration, parties planned, even a parade was on the schedule.
From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
