celebration

[sel-uh-brey-shuh n]

noun

an act of celebrating.
the festivities engaged in to celebrate something.

Origin of celebration

1520–30; < Latin celebrātiōn- (stem of celebrātiō) big assembly. See celebrate, -ion

Related formsin·ter·cel·e·bra·tion, nounnon·cel·e·bra·tion, nounpre·cel·e·bra·tion, nounre·cel·e·bra·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pre-celebration

Historical Examples of pre-celebration

This took the character of a pre-celebration of my eightieth birthday, and was highly honorific.
Julia Ward Howe
Laura E. Richards

Word Origin and History for pre-celebration

celebration

1520s, "honoring of a day or season by appropriate festivities," formed in English from celebrate, or else from Latin celebrationem (nominative celebratio) "numerous attendance" (especially upon a festival celebration), noun of action from past participle stem of celebrare. Meaning "performance of a religious ceremony" (especially the Eucharist) is from 1570s; that of "extolling in speeches, etc." is from 1670s.