festivity

noun

fes·​tiv·​i·​ty fe-ˈsti-və-tē How to pronounce festivity (audio)
fə-
plural festivities
1
2
: the quality or state of being festive : gaiety
3
: festive activity

Examples of festivity in a Sentence

The decorations give the hall an air of festivity. The festivities will include a parade, a concert, and games for children. We enjoyed the New Year's Eve festivities.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
London held its 2025 Pride festivities on July 5 this year, with Chaka Kahn headlining a day of celebrations that also featured a number of LGBTQ+ performers in the central part of the city. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 July 2025 The weekend of festivities concluded with a downtown party July 5 that featured food trucks, beer tents, street dancing and a main stage with live music. Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 6 July 2025 The July 4 festivities began with the women's competition at 10:45 a.m. at the corner of Surf and Stillwell in Coney Island, New York. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 5 July 2025 Los Angeles and much of Southern California were met with a regional air quality alert on Saturday, following July 4th festivities and the state’s largest wildfire of the year. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 5 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for festivity

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of festivity was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Festivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/festivity. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

festivity

noun
fes·​tiv·​i·​ty fes-ˈtiv-ət-ē How to pronounce festivity (audio)
plural festivities
1
2
: the quality or state of being festive
3
: festive activity

More from Merriam-Webster on festivity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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