fete
noun
a day of celebration; holiday.
fete
American
[feyt, fet]
/ feɪt, fɛt /
French
fête
noun
-
fetes
plural
-
a day of celebration; holiday.
The Fourth of July is a great American fete.
-
a festive celebration or entertainment.
The ball was the greatest fete of the season.
-
a religious feast or festival.
a fete lasting several days in honor of a saint.
verb (used with object)
feted,
feting
-
to entertain at or honor with a fete.
to fete a visiting celebrity.
-
to celebrate, laud, or acclaim.
He was feted in the press and honored by fellow citizens.
fête
British
/ feɪt /
noun
-
a gala, bazaar, or similar entertainment, esp one held outdoors in aid of charity
-
a feast day or holiday, esp one of religious significance
-
informal an organized group entertainment, esp a party or a dance
verb
-
(tr) to honour or entertain with or as if with a fête
the author was fêted by his publishers
-
informal (intr) to join in a fête
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fete
First recorded in 1745–55; from French fête “holiday, festival,” from Old French feste “feast”; see origin at feast
Explanation
A fête is a party, often one thrown in someone's honor. You'll find fête used as both a verb and a noun. If you want to fête someone, throw them a fête. Fête is a word taken directly from French. In fact, sometimes in English you'll see a circumflex accent over the first "e" in fête. This makes it especially easy to remember, because this accent looks almost like a party hat.
Vocabulary lists containing fete
Party Parlance for Mardi Gras
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!
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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!
Mardi Gras: Fun
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:
A resident of Oxnard, Channtal Shrauger also made a bit of a drive to fete the closing restaurant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
This year’s special America 250 fete brings together more than 1,000 global performers who will treat audiences to pipe-and-drum acts, drill teams, military bands, choirs, motorcycle stunt shows and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
While many trek in from across the country or from the diaspora in Europe and the United States, some hotel owners also report growing numbers of foreign tourists as the annual fete grows.
From Barron's ● Dec. 22, 2025
Beneath gilded portraits and suits of armour in Windsor Castle, 160 guests wined and dined at a lavish banquet to fete US President Donald Trump's unprecedented second state visit to the UK on Wednesday evening.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025
Her noble husband had opened the Great Pyramid to fete them.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
But ever since a pair of Italian ski legends lit the cauldron in Milan, just 18 months after the summer fête of Paris, the decline of the Games has felt like a distant memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026
With the scale of a fête like this, the task of planning and shielding the affair from public glare could prove as difficult as winning another Grammy or Super Bowl trophy.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2025
Most details of the Venice fête are being kept close to the vest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2025
It’s like they are frozen in time, enjoying a giant and timeless party somewhere: On a balcony admiring ballroom dancers, or guests at a grandiose fête thrown by the Great Gatsby himself.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
But of course there’s still a grande fête at the quarterback’s lake house.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
Biden and Kishida on Wednesday will hold talks and take part in a joint news conference before Biden fetes the Japanese leader with the state dinner in the East Room.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
The idea he would savour being a humble backbencher asking questions about cash for the local hospital or appearing at school fetes was for the birds.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2023
Most FYC fetes, though, have continued as scheduled, even with holes on the Q&A panels.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2023
“Sunset Blvd.” — the title is officially abbreviated though it is often written out as Boulevard — includes one of the most horrifying New Year’s Eve fetes committed to film.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 30, 2022
The ‘magnificences’ she oversaw at the French court had many components, from jousting tournaments and firework displays to water fetes and mock battles.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon feted his guest with an indigenous Maori welcome and guard of honour, seeking to expand relations after signing a free-trade pact in April that he has touted as an economic boon.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
That could have been Trout’s spot this summer: a worthy honor for a three-time most valuable player, a local hero feted on the national stage the Angels have failed to provide him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
It's named after the feted New York club where Madonna got an early break by persuading DJ Mark Kamins to play her debut single, Everybody.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
During his first term, China feted him like a favorite prince with various ceremonies: a private tour of the Forbidden City, followed by a performance by the Peking Opera and a huge state dinner.
From Salon ● May 14, 2026
Haydn was feted by the likes of Messrs Darcy and Bingley rather than by the Bennets and Lucases.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
And Monday, while speakers were feting him with their deepest thanks for hour after hour, they were also delaying his speaking window until after prime time on the East Coast.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2024
The administration’s feting of Modi stretched into Friday at the State Department, where Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosted a luncheon in the Indian leader’s honor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2023
The longest Cannes ovation on record belongs to Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which scored a 22-minute feting, enough time to watch an episode of “Seinfeld” without the ads.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2023
For all of her feting of American delegations, Ms. Tsai, and the semiconductor industry she seeks to protect, face a precarious balancing act.
From New York Times ● Aug. 29, 2022
Lord Chandos was always either being feted or feting others.
From A Mad Love by Charlotte M. Brame
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.
