Diwali

noun

Di·​wa·​li də-ˈwä-lē How to pronounce Diwali (audio)
-ˈvä-
variants or less commonly Divali or Dewali
plural Diwalis also Divalis or Dewalis
: a Hindu festival of lights held in late October or early November
Candlelight and lanterns are traditional beacons of autumn and winter for many cultures—from Diwali to Christmas to Hanukkah—as communities usher in longer nights.Leeta-Rose Ballester

Examples of Diwali in a Sentence

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.
Box office competition Big Bollywood clash Bollywood witnessed one of the biggest box office clashes of the year when Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again decided a Diwali release. Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 In addition, this year’s Holidays of Light displays include Lunar New Year, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, Hanukkah, Visakha Puja Day and St. Lucia Day. Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Nov. 2024 This year, the brand's value has continued to climb, and recent releases from the company feature more inclusive Barbies including a doll in honor of Diwali and several with different abilities. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 19 Nov. 2024 Like Diwali in India, the five-day Hindu festival of Tihar, being celebrated this week in Nepal, is a festival of lights. Peter Guo, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Diwali 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi dīvālī, divālī, going back to Middle Indo-Aryan dīvālī-, dīvāvalī-, going back to Sanskrit dīpāvaliḥ "row of lights, the Diwali festival," from dīpaḥ "lamp, light" (noun extracted from dīpayati "[s/he] sets alight, lights, illuminates," causative derivative from the base of dī́deti "[it] shines, is bright") + āvaliḥ "row, line" (of uncertain origin) — more at psychedelic entry 1

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Diwali was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near Diwali

Cite this Entry

“Diwali.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Diwali. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

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