Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals.
  • noun An often regularly recurring program of cultural performances, exhibitions, or competitions.
  • noun Revelry; conviviality.
  • adjective Of, relating to, or suitable for a feast or festival; festive.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of, pertaining to, or befitting a feast; attending or marking a joyous celebration; joyous; festal: as, a festival entertainment.
  • noun A festal day; a feast; a time of feasting; an anniversary or appointed day of festive celebration.
  • noun Synonyms Banquet, etc. See feast.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Pertaining to a fest; festive; festal; appropriate to a festival; joyous; mirthful.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Pertaining to a feast or feast-day. (Now only as the noun used attributively.)
  • noun An event or community gathering, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some theme, sometimes on some unique aspect of the community.
  • noun In mythology, a set of celebrations in the honour of a god.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place)
  • noun a day or period of time set aside for feasting and celebration

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Middle English, festive, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fēstivālis, from Latin fēstīvus, from fēstus; see dhēs- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Late Latin fēstīvālis, from Latin fēstīvus ("festive").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word festival.

Examples

  • If we assign three weeks to each festival -- including the time spent on the journey going and returning, and the delays before and after the celebration, together with the _festival week_; it will be a small allowance for the cessation of their regular labor.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • If we assign three weeks to each festival -- including the time spent on the journeys, and the delays before and after the celebration, together with the _festival week_, it will be a small allowance for the cessation of their regular labor.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 1 of 4 American Anti-Slavery Society

  • If we assign three weeks to each festival -- including the time spent on the journeys, and the delays before and after the celebration, together with the _festival week_, it will be a small allowance for the cessation of their regular labor.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 1 of 4 American Anti-Slavery Society

  • If we assign three weeks to each festival -- including the time spent on the journeys, and the delays before and after the celebration, together with the _festival week_, it will be a small allowance for the cessation of their regular labor.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • If we assign three weeks to each festival -- including the time spent on the journey going and returning, and the delays before and after the celebration, together with the _festival week_; it will be a small allowance for the cessation of their regular labor.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 1 of 4 American Anti-Slavery Society

  • If we assign three weeks to each festival -- including the time spent on the journeys, and the delays before and after the celebration, together with the _festival week_, it will be a small allowance for the cessation of their regular labor.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • One of the highlights of the festival is a dinner with a deadly difference.

    Harrogate festival programme is out Maxine 2009

  • One of the highlights of the festival is a dinner with a deadly difference.

    May 2009 Maxine 2009

  • One of the highlights of the festival is a dinner with a deadly difference.

    Harrogate festival programme is out Maxine 2009

  • One of the highlights of the festival is a dinner with a deadly difference.

    PETRONA Maxine 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • A lot of festivals take place during summer.

    July 16, 2009