triumphal
Americanadjective
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of, pertaining to, celebrating, or commemorating a triumph or victory.
a triumphal banquet; a triumphal ode.
adjective
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celebrating a triumph
a triumphal procession
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resembling triumph
Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of triumphal
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word triumphālis. See triumph, -al 1
Vocabulary lists containing triumphal
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.
He is pushing ahead with plans to erect a massive triumphal arch elsewhere in Washington.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
He added that out of "the 59 top cities and Capitals", Washington DC is "the only one in the world that does not have a triumphal arch", without specifying what those cities are.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
He also claimed Washington is the only one of the world’s “59 top cities and Capitals” without a triumphal arch.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
The triumphal arch would block or disrupt the sightline of other monuments, critics have said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
What Voltaire was to France, Franklin was to America, the symbol of mankind’s triumphal arrival at modernity.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
