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• fete
  fete

  noun

  a day of celebration; holiday.
• fête
  fête

  noun

  a gala, bazaar, or similar entertainment, esp one held outdoors in aid of charity

fete

American  

[feyt, fet] / feɪt, fɛt /

French fête

noun

fetes plural

1. a day of celebration; holiday.

   The Fourth of July is a great American fete.

2. a festive celebration or entertainment.

   The ball was the greatest fete of the season.

3. a religious feast or festival.

   a fete lasting several days in honor of a saint.

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verb (used with object)

feted, feting

1. to entertain at or honor with a fete.

   to fete a visiting celebrity.

2. to celebrate, laud, or acclaim.

   He was feted in the press and honored by fellow citizens.

fête British  

/ feɪt /

noun

1. a gala, bazaar, or similar entertainment, esp one held outdoors in aid of charity

2. a feast day or holiday, esp one of religious significance

3. informal an organized group entertainment, esp a party or a dance

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verb

1. (tr) to honour or entertain with or as if with a fête

   the author was fêted by his publishers

2. informal (intr) to join in a fête

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fetes
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fete fête fetes feted feting

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

To fete the supersized 250th anniversary, a committee of local burghers has been meeting every few weeks for four years, preparing for as many as 100,000 people to show up this weekend.

From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2025

The organisers of the fete - a fundraiser for one of Trinidad and Tobago's top secondary schools – also hire "bin detectives" to ensure patrons properly sort and dispose their rubbish for recycling.

From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2025

The host raked in money from nonmembers as well, who paid cash for liquor and stockvel plates during the fete.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

There are groups of friends, families and even dogs - it's like a big summer fête, with rainbows and glitter.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

Charles, whose birthday was Nov. 14 and has had a number of recent health problems, wasn’t actually in attendance at Thursday’s fête.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 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

More recently, the roving queer disco fête A Club Called Rhonda sporadically hosted such DJs as LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy in there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2023

I see the stars, I see the rockets, and for a moment have the impression that I have fallen asleep at a garden fête.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Wild and kitschy shows followed with opening fetes dedicated to colorful subjects including Andy Warhol, circus clowns, and Canadian television creators and puppeteers Sid and Marty Krofft.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026

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

Androgyny, cross-dressing and costume were de rigueur for the golden-boy bon vivant and artist Tennant and Vogue photographer Cecil Beaton at their fetes.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2022

“And this was the best,” one character thinks, “the best days of her life. After this there would be only committees and fetes and recounting anecdotes to her fidgeting grandchildren.”

From New York Times ● Aug. 27, 2021

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

Despite his national hero status, Aung San is feted mostly by ethnic majority Bamar elites, rather than the ethnic minority groups who have fought against central rule for decades, researcher Morgan Michaels said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 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

As for report cards, members of the family who brought home good grades were feted and rewarded.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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

But his remarks at his own feting were defining: In 17 seasons of owning the Nats, Lerner was the franchise’s unquestioned North Star — from which everything important emanated but almost nothing was heard.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2023

But in feting “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the metaverse-skipping action adventure directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheiner, the filmmaking duo known as “the Daniels,” the Gothams selected an unlikely runaway success.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 28, 2022

And off he went, opening the great doors, feting the musicians, soaking them with champagne, drunk himself without drinking a drop, solely with the music which brought him back to life.

From Tartarin On The Alps by Wormeley, Katharine Prescott