Saturnalia

[ sat-er-ney-lee-uh, -neyl-yuh ]

/ ˌsæt ərˈneɪ li ə, -ˈneɪl yə /

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See synonyms for Saturnalia on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural Sat·ur·na·li·a, Sat·ur·na·li·as.

(sometimes used with a plural verb) the festival of Saturn, celebrated in December in ancient Rome as a time of unrestrained merrymaking.

(lowercase) unrestrained revelry; orgy.

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Origin of Saturnalia

1585–95; <Latin Sāturnālia, equivalent to Sāturn(us) Saturn + -ālia, neuter plural of -ālis-al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM Saturnalia

Sat·ur·na·li·an, adjective

Words nearby Saturnalia

saturator, Saturday, Saturday-night special, Saturdays, Saturn, Saturnalia, Saturnian, saturniid, saturnine, saturnism, Satyagraha

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Saturnalia in a sentence

That is the sense of the Saturnalia, of Mardi Gras and of these moments of entertainment.
Joseph Campbell on the Roots of Halloween|Joseph Campbell|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was not worn out of the house except on the Saturnalia, and was usually of some bright color.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
One cannot help wondering who first conceived the idea of these horrid saturnalia.
Witch, Warlock, and Magician|William Henry Davenport Adams
By the light of Wycherley's comedies one may imagine the Restoration saturnalia of this wedding feast!
Court Beauties of Old Whitehall|W. R. H. Trowbridge

It was a sort of convulsion of nature and the fish seemed to look upon it as an opportunity for a Saturnalia.
The Sportswoman's Library, v. 2|Various
Each village, in the absence of the baron at the assembly of the nations, enjoyed a kind of saturnalia.
The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts

British Dictionary definitions for Saturnalia

Saturnalia

/ (ˌsætəˈneɪlɪə) /

noun plural -lia or -lias

an ancient Roman festival celebrated in December: renowned for its general merrymaking

(sometimes not capital) a period or occasion of wild revelry

Derived forms of Saturnalia

Saturnalian, adjective

Word Origin for Saturnalia

C16: from Latin Sāturnālis relating to Saturn 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012