event

noun

i-ˈvent

Synonyms of event next

: something that happens : occurrence

: a noteworthy happening

: a social occasion or activity

: an adverse or damaging medical occurrence

a heart attack or other cardiac event

: any of the contests in a program of sports

: a postulated outcome, condition, or eventuality

in the event that I am not there, call the house

: the final outcome or determination of a legal action

archaic : outcome

: the fundamental entity of observed physical reality represented by a point designated by three coordinates of place and one of time in the space-time continuum postulated by the theory of relativity

: a subset of the possible outcomes of an experiment

eventless

i-ˈvent-ləs

adjective

Phrases

at all events

: in any case

in any event

: in any case

in the event

chiefly British

: as it turns out

Choose the Right Synonym for event

occurrence, event, incident, episode, circumstance mean something that happens or takes place.

occurrence may apply to a happening without intent, volition, or plan.

an encounter that was a chance occurrence

event usually implies an occurrence of some importance and frequently one having antecedent cause.

the events following the assassination

incident suggests an occurrence of brief duration or secondary importance.

a minor wartime incident

episode stresses the distinctiveness or apartness of an incident.

a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work

circumstance implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background.

couldn't recall the exact circumstances

Example Sentences

The article recounted the events of the past year. the last major event of the summer He had no memory of the events that happened afterwards. The accident was caused by an unusual sequence of events. She likes to arrive at social events early. It's the only event on the golf tour that she hasn't yet won. See More

Recent Examples on the Web And nearly 26 years later, her own son, Prince Harry, had his own scary run-in with paparazzi while leaving a charity event in NYC with his wife, Meghan Markle. —

Korin Miller, Women's Health, 18 May 2023 Fans who attend the match will be able to stay in their seats to watch the event in the stadium. —

Abraham Nudelstejer, Dallas News, 18 May 2023 As the first formal event of the school year, homecoming sets the tone and lets everyone, from the shyest freshman to the most confident seniors counting down the days until graduation, know that the homecoming committee came to slay. —

Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 18 May 2023 Being there to honor Joni was a remarkable event in my life. —

Steve Hochman, SPIN, 17 May 2023 While neither festival has made an official announcement regarding the decision to drop him, Rolling Stone confirmed that Slowthai is no longer listed on the lineups for the events on their official websites. —

Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2023 See Lisa’s photo with Zendaya and Anne Hathway at the Bulgari event on jewelry company’s Instagram account. —

Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 17 May 2023 The pair, together with Meghan’s mother, were followed by photographers after leaving a charity event in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday night. —

Henry Austin, NBC News, 17 May 2023 But the promise of feeling close to this style era of yore was enough to draw hundreds of fashion fanatics and Sevigny fangirls to the event. —

Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'event.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.