celebratory

adjective

cel·​e·​bra·​to·​ry ˈse-lə-brə-ˌtȯr-ē 

ˌse-lə-ˈbrā-tə-rē

: of, relating to, expressing, or characterized by celebration

The tone of the article was celebratory.

Both band and audience seemed in celebratory moods, with massive cheers erupting when the lights went out …

—Emily Burnham

: used or intended for use in celebrating

We went for a celebratory drink after the game.

And you can even find meals that don't have any turkey at all; for many Westerners, Thanksgiving dinner is more about celebratory feasting than ironclad tradition, so chefs update their menus with everything from lobster with tomato-basil polenta to butternut squash lasagna.

—Colleen Dunn Bates

Also beginning in earnest is the crop of celebratory activities to mark the 250th anniversary of the quintessential college town.

—James Heflin

Examples of celebratory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There won’t be any overly celebratory reactions here, especially with a tougher opponent looming Saturday. —Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 29 May 2026

Polls show our mood, heading into the 250th anniversary of the nation, is not celebratory. —Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2026

For graduating psychology student Lisa Salinas, the delays added stress to what was supposed to be a celebratory day. —Da Lin, CBS News, 23 May 2026

One photo in the carousel showed a series of polaroids of the newborn sleeping, her proud dad holding up a celebratory bottle of champagne by her bassinet, and Duhamel and Mari posing together. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for celebratory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory
• consolatory