triumphal

[trahy-uhm-fuhl]

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, celebrating, or commemorating a triumph or victory.

   a triumphal banquet; a triumphal ode.

2. triumphant.

triumphal

/ traɪˈʌmfəl /

adjective

1. celebrating a triumph

   a triumphal procession

2. resembling triumph

Word History and Origins

Origin of triumphal¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word triumphālis. See triumph, -al ¹

Example Sentences

The most famous triumphal arches have unavoidable associations with autocratic power and imperial violence.

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Charbonneau, a partner at Harrison Design, posted a watercolour rendering of the the proposal on social media on 4 September, writing "America needs a triumphal arch!"

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Linkin Park’s plans for a triumphal Dodger Stadium hometown show seem to have fizzled.

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Although the city’s history goes back to the Middle Ages, it was rebuilt under Joseph Stalin after World War II as a kind of triumphal arch and a gateway to Moscow, 700 kilometers away.

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Set to a triumphal score by Amelia Warner, there’s a hint of Bruckheimer’s “Pirates of the Caribbean”-style jauntiness to the powerful orchestration that adds to the sense of melodrama at play.

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Related Words

• triumphant 

When To Use

What does triumphal mean?

Triumphal means involving, relating to, or celebrating a triumph—an especially significant or noteworthy victory or success.In many cases, triumphal means about the same thing as the more commonly used triumphant—experiencing, celebrating, or having achieved a triumph.Triumph is also commonly used as a verb meaning to win, succeed, or be victorious in an epic or spectacular way. An army can triumph over enemy forces. In stories, good triumphs over evil. A person might be said to triumph over cancer.Triumphal is especially used in situations in which victory or success has come after great difficulty, adversity, or sacrifice, or over an opponent considered difficult to defeat.Sometimes, triumphal describes the state of joy or celebration following a victory or success that is considered a triumph, as in A triumphal feeling filled her as she realized she had won the election. Example: A triumphal victory parade has been planned to celebrate the championship.