fanfare

noun fan·fare \ ˈfan-ˌfer \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of fanfare

1 : a short and lively sounding of trumpets

2 : a showy outward display

See fanfare defined for English-language learners

See fanfare defined for kids

Examples of fanfare in a Sentence

The new jet was introduced with great fanfare.

Recent Examples of fanfare from the Web

After five seasons of watching Chip and Jo go from unknowns to an HGTV power couple, some people expected a lot of fanfare for the final #DemoDay.

— jennifer aldrich, Country Living, "People Had a Lot of Feelings About the 'Fixer Upper' Finale," 4 Apr. 2018
President Donald Trump has, to great fanfare, remade his national-security team in recent days.

— gerald f. seib, WSJ, "Donald Trump’s Staff Shake-Up Leaves Jim Mattis in a Key Role," 26 Mar. 2018
So this didn't get a lot of fanfare because there's so much attention being paid to the Russian fiasco and Russian collusion.

— Fox News, "Rep. Nunes on the House's Russia investigation findings," 25 Mar. 2018
The 950-ton, 174-foot pedestrian bridge was assembled by the side of the highway and moved into place Saturday to great fanfare.

— linda trischitta, latimes.com, "At least 4 people killed as pedestrian bridge collapses at Florida university," 16 Mar. 2018
In Miami, the 950-ton, 174-foot span was assembled by the side of the highway and moved into place Saturday to great fanfare. The $14.2 million bridge connected Florida International University and the city of Sweetwater.

— Bloomberg.com, "URGENT: 'Multiple' Fatalities When Bridge Collapses Onto Vehicles," 15 Mar. 2018
Even leading up to this day, it's been really huge, full of fanfare.

— joshua rivera, GQ, "Black Panther’s Breakout Star Winston Duke Is Here to Call You Out," 20 Feb. 2018
The entry-level electric Model 3 debuted in July 2017 to great fanfare, but Tesla has struggled for months to ramp up production to meet demand.

— megan geuss, Ars Technica, "Tesla loses another $675 million in Q4, its biggest quarterly loss yet," 7 Feb. 2018
Late Tuesday, the magnanimous ex-boyfriend sharer announced her next single to great fanfare.

— chelsea peng, Marie Claire, "Uh Oh: Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" Video Accused of White-Washing, Director Responds," 3 Sep. 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fanfare.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fanfare

French

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1605

See Words from the same year

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

FANFARE Defined for English Language Learners

fanfare

noun

Definition of fanfare for English Language Learners

: a lot of talk or activity showing that people are excited about something
: a short piece of music played loudly with trumpets especially to announce that someone is arriving