jubilee

noun ju·bi·lee \ ˈjü-bə-(ˌ)lē , ˌjü-bə-ˈlē \

|Updated on: 3 Jul 2018

Definition of jubilee

1 a : a special anniversary; especially : a 50th anniversary

b : a celebration of such an anniversary

2 a : jubilation

b : a season of celebration

3 often capitalized : a year of emancipation and restoration provided by ancient Hebrew law to be kept every 50 years by the emancipation of Hebrew slaves, restoration of alienated lands to their former owners, and omission of all cultivation of the land

4 a : a period of time proclaimed by the Roman Catholic pope ordinarily every 25 years as a time of special solemnity

b : a special plenary indulgence granted during a year of jubilee to Roman Catholics who perform certain specified works of repentance and piety

5 : a religious song of black Americans usually referring to a time of future happiness

See jubilee defined for English-language learners

See jubilee defined for kids

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Examples of jubilee in a Sentence

the town is planning a year-long jubilee in celebration of its founding 200 years ago

Recent Examples of jubilee from the Web

Events frequently turn the walkable area into a jubilee, and entire days and evenings can be passed sampling craft cocktails, a bevy of microbrews and organic fare.

— natasha bourlin, SFChronicle.com, "Increasingly hip Midtown Reno has a glow that’s not from neon," 29 June 2018
And Sanford hosts a daylong jubilee with a kids area and live music and more fireworks over another lake (3 p.m., Fort Mellon Park, sanfordfl.gov).

— trevor fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Fireworks still a good reason to gather," 28 June 2018
The Crescent City already had Mardi Gras for parades, Bourbon Street for revelry, and a handful of go-to gay bars, so an LGBTQ-specific jubilee seemed sort of superfluous.

— kelsy chauvin, Condé Nast Traveler, "What NOLA's 'Gay Mardi Gras' Taught Me About My Parents—and Myself," 13 June 2018
Cranberries jubilee is cooked up in a 4-foot skillet and served over ice cream.

— nancy stohs, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "6 food festivals that offer a glimpse of Wisconsin specialties and local culture," 6 June 2018
That incident in the restaurant, with the chafing dish of flaming cherries jubilee and the business writer from the Times?

— ellis weiner, The New Yorker, "We’re Sorry," 20 Sep. 2017
For the Fourth, the luxe, 100-year-old resort goes all out with a five-day jubilee with fireworks over the lake, free movies nightly, and classes.

— stephanie granada, Sunset, "10 July 4th Weekend Trips You Can’t Miss," 22 Jan. 2018
This twenty-year birthday tradition has morphed this year into a month-long global jubilee.

— peggy siegal, Town & Country, "This Underground Plastic Surgery Guide Is the Talk of the Upper East Side," 20 Nov. 2017
Although the whole evening was definitely a call for jubilee, the best part was Blue’s handwritten notes celebrating the award winners.

— refinery29.com, "Blue Ivy Went Viral At The Wearable Art Gala For Bidding $19K On Art," 18 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of jubilee

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French jubilé, from Late Latin jubilaeus, modification of Late Greek iōbēlaios, from Hebrew yōbhēl ram's horn, jubilee

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

jubilee Synonyms

Synonyms

carnival, celebration, fest, festival, festivity, fete (or fête), fiesta, gala;

exhibit, exhibition, exposition, fair, show;

Other Number-Related Terms

myriad, quarantine, score, twain

jubilee

adjective, often capitalized

Definition of jubilee

: flambé

cherries jubilee

First Known Use of jubilee

1951

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

JUBILEE Defined for English Language Learners

jubilee

noun

Definition of jubilee for English Language Learners

: a special anniversary; also : a celebration at the time of such an anniversary

JUBILEE Defined for Kids

jubilee

noun ju·bi·lee \ ˈjü-bə-ˌlē , ˌjü-bə-ˈlē \

Definition of jubilee for Students

1 : a 50th anniversary

2 : a time of celebration

History for jubilee

In ancient Hebrew tradition every 50th year was a time of restoration, when slaves were freed and lands restored to their former owners. This year took its Hebrew name, yōbhēl, from the ram's horn trumpets sounded to proclaim its coming. When the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek, yōbhēl was rendered as iōbēlaios. Under the influence of the Latin verb jubilare, “to let out joyful shouts,” the Greek word became jubilaeus in Latin, from which it came into English in the 1300s.