festivity

noun

fes·​tiv·​i·​ty fe-ˈsti-və-tē 

fə-

plural festivities

1

: festival sense 1

2

: the quality or state of being festive : gaiety

3

: festive activity

Synonyms of festivity

• cheerfulness
• glee
• merriness
• cheer

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

The museum also hosts pop-up stargazing festivities timed to exciting astronomical events, such as bright comets or planet conjunctions. —Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026

Bringing joy to the airport In 2020, PDX was celebrating the opening of a new concourse and invited the llamas from Mountain Peaks to join the festivities. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026

Many communities canceled festivities following the crackdown on protesters in January, while others have organized smaller, quieter versions of the usually joyous celebration. —Amy Taxin, Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026

In the United States, some Iranian American communities also canceled or scaled back festivities. —ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for festivity

• acclivity
• activity
• captivity
• declivity
• nativity
• passivity
• proclivity
• absorptivity
• affectivity
• collectivity
• conductivity
• connectivity

Kids Definition

festivity

noun

fes·​tiv·​i·​ty fes-ˈtiv-ət-ē 

plural festivities

1

: festival sense 1

2

: the quality or state of being festive

3

: festive activity