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festival

 [fes-tuh-vuhl]   Example Sentences Origin

fes·ti·val

   [fes-tuh-vuhl]
noun
1.
a day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances: the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival.
2.
a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration: an annual strawberry festival.
3.
a period or program of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment: a music festival.
4.
gaiety; revelry; merrymaking.
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adjective
5.
festal: a festival atmosphere of unrestrained joy.

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a fool or simpleton; ninny.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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Origin:
1300–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin fēstivālis (diēs) holy (day). See festive, -al1

Related forms
pre·fes·ti·val, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To festival
Example Sentences
  • But possibly your new colleagues will throw a festival for you upon your arrival.
  • The celebration in question was a scientific meeting, rather than a festival.
  • Enjoy two free family films as part of this city-wide festival of the imagination.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
festival (ˈfɛstɪvəl)
 
—n
1.  a day or period set aside for celebration or feasting, esp one of religious significance
2.  any occasion for celebration, esp one which commemorates an anniversary or other significant event
3.  an organized series of special events and performances, usually in one place: a festival of drama
4.  archaic a time of revelry; merrymaking
5.  (modifier) relating to or characteristic of a festival
 
[C14: from Church Latin fēstivālis of a feast, from Latin festīvusfestive]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

festival
1580s (n.); it was an adj. in 14c.; from M.L. festivalis "of a church holiday" (see festivity).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

festival

day or period of time set aside to commemorate, ritually celebrate or reenact, or anticipate events or seasons-agricultural, religious, or sociocultural-that give meaning and cohesiveness to an individual and to the religious, political, or socioeconomic community. Because such days or periods generally originated in religious celebrations or ritual commemorations that usually included sacred community meals, they are called feasts or festivals.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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