Oktoberfest
Americannoun
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a traditional festival held each October in Munich, Germany.
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any similar festival held usually in the autumn.
Usage
What is Oktoberfest? Oktoberfest is a traditional festival held in October in Munich, Germany. It’s the largest Volksfest, which combines a beer (or sometimes wine) festival and a traveling carnival. Despite its name, Oktoberfest usually starts in September and ends in early October. Oktoberfest can also refer to any similar fall festival, especially held in the United States and featuring beer and German foods. Example: My town’s Oktoberfest always features local German beers and foods from Karl’s German Kitchen.
Etymology
Origin of Oktoberfest
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 October, at the peak of Oktoberfest celebrations, a forest fire closed a major highway funneling visitors across the Cascades.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025
Although dirndl dresses and lederhosen prevailed at Oktoberfest, attended by about 60 people, Nature Friends is not a German social club but rather a haven for lovers of nature, art and culture.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025
The latest sightings came late Thursday, when Germany closed the Munich airport, grounding 17 departing flights and stranding nearly 3,000 passengers during Oktoberfest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
The city is currently hosting the annual Oktoberfest festival, which is due to end on 5 October.
From BBC • Oct. 2, 2025
These statistics I read on the Oktoberfest in the Munich tourist pamphlets.
From Unborn Tomorrow by Freas, Kelly
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.
