festival

noun

Definition of festivalnext
as in celebration
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something tourists flock to the town for its annual strawberry festival

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of festival Rodrigo’s all-women festival — which donated $10 million to nonprofits benefitting women and girls — was inspired by Lilith Fair, the iconic traveling festival from the late Nineties. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2026 Thousands of attendees had descended on the festival grounds, buoyed by—for lack of a better term—amazing vibes, despite temperatures north of 103 degrees. — Biz Sherbert, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2026 Intergenerational change Melissa Shaw, 33, drove to the festival from Tucson, Arizona, with her 8-year-old daughter. — James Pollard, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026 Metro Atlanta will play host to three book festivals this fall. — Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for festival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festival
  1. celebration
  2. festivity
  3. fiesta
Noun
  • Both posed with the actor's granddaughter, Melissa Talmadge Cox, who first met Fadem at another Keaton celebration ten years ago in Muskegon, Mich.
    — Brian Bull, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The eveningwear collection is designed for red carpets, galas, black-tie celebrations and other memorable occasions.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of celebration
Noun
  • In lieu of festivities, tens of thousands of people took to the streets Wednesday across Spain to protest the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ceuta, demanding solutions and blaming Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for his government's handling of it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Wedding festivities took place over four days and began in a city hundreds of miles away, to which my wife and I traveled.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of festivity
Noun
  • Spain will host a gran fiesta for its winning team on the streets of Madrid.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 July 2026
  • The Carnaval de Guaranda, for instance, takes inspiration from a rowdy annual fiesta held in the Bolivar Province and is made with vodka, hops, figs, white truffle, turmeric, and a local moonshine called pájaro azul.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
Definition of fiesta

Browse Nearby Words

festers
festival
festivals
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Cite this Entry

“Festival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festival. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on festival

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about festival

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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