celebration
Americannoun
-
the act of celebrating.
We want to do something special in celebration of Amy’s great new job.
-
a party or other festive event for celebrating something.
Don’t you think the birthday celebrations for preschoolers in this neighborhood are a bit over the top?
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of celebration
First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin celebrātiōn- (stem of celebrātiō ) “large gathering, widespread use, celebration (of a festival)”; see celebrate, -ion
Explanation
A celebration is a joyful diversion. Your math class might have a celebration when you learn that the midterm has been postponed for a week. A celebration can be a festive party commemorating some joyous occasion, like your grandparents' fiftieth anniversary celebration or your brother's birthday celebration. It can also be a less formal marking of a happy event, like the arrival of your new puppy. Another meaning of celebration is a religious ceremony, such as communion or a bar mitzvah.
Vocabulary lists containing celebration
Party Parlance for Mardi Gras
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Passover Vocabulary
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List 4
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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:
For six weeks, soccer made the U.S. the center of worldwide celebration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
"Star Trek" legend George Takei on Saturday headlined a 60th anniversary celebration of the groundbreaking sci-fi series at Comic-Con, which featured stars from across the Starship Enterprise's expanded universe of films and shows.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
It was supposed to be a celebration marking the opening of a new international bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, after eight years of construction and several delays.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The event is billed as a celebration of journalism and the First Amendment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The temple was already preparing for the Bonding, a celebration of the gods; to be initiated into the Sons of the Six just before such a holiday would be a special honor.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
The celebrations have gone far beyond the county in the west of Ireland, which is home to just 137,000 people but boasts some very famous exports.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Saturday in Berlin’s Tiergarten park near the iconic Brandenburg Gate, where hundreds of thousands of people had gathered throughout the day for Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Key details: The U.S. got a temporary boost in July from the World Cup and celebrations tied to America’s 250th birthday.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Outside the stadium, bars, beaches and Metro stations became theaters of drama and triumph, culminating in hours-long revelry all throughout the city at after-parties and postgame celebrations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Wild celebrations were breaking out across the country, as Americans everywhere cheered the Allied victory.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
