as in celebrations
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something
year-long festivities will mark the 300th anniversary of the city's founding
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of festivities
Seeded first in this NCAA regional and ranked second overall nationally behind 37-0 Connecticut, UCLA muscled past Minnesota 80-56 to start the festivities as Sacramento hosted a women’s tournament for the first time since 2010.
—
Joe Davidson
march 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Hailing from Marinduque Island is the Moriones Festival, one of the oldest and most revered ecclesiastical festivities in the Philippines.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
In the Bay Area, springtime festivities begin this weekend with Easter Bunny photo ops, egg hunts, crafts and other activities, followed by a full array over the holiday weekend, including the city of Campbell’s big parade and a Hayward bonnet parade now in its 81st year.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Large corporations often sponsor these festivities, and their executives are expected to march in the parades.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Bars and restaurants in Philadelphia can stay open two hours later than normal this summer as the city hosts a slew of America 250 events, FIFA World Cup matches and MLB All-Star Game festivities.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
On a warm Sunday afternoon in February, the Huntington Library was packed with Lunar New Year festivities and early spring fever.
—Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
In the United States, some Iranian American communities also canceled or scaled back festivities.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Many masajid or mosques in North Texas are marking the first day of Eid with prayer services on the morning of March 20, with festivities continuing on throughout the weekend.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Joe Davidson
march 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Hailing from Marinduque Island is the Moriones Festival, one of the oldest and most revered ecclesiastical festivities in the Philippines.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
In the Bay Area, springtime festivities begin this weekend with Easter Bunny photo ops, egg hunts, crafts and other activities, followed by a full array over the holiday weekend, including the city of Campbell’s big parade and a Hayward bonnet parade now in its 81st year.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Large corporations often sponsor these festivities, and their executives are expected to march in the parades.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Bars and restaurants in Philadelphia can stay open two hours later than normal this summer as the city hosts a slew of America 250 events, FIFA World Cup matches and MLB All-Star Game festivities.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
On a warm Sunday afternoon in February, the Huntington Library was packed with Lunar New Year festivities and early spring fever.
—Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
In the United States, some Iranian American communities also canceled or scaled back festivities.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Many masajid or mosques in North Texas are marking the first day of Eid with prayer services on the morning of March 20, with festivities continuing on throughout the weekend.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festivities
Noun
-
Pakistani weddings are often elaborate, multi-day celebrations that place strong emphasis on visual storytelling, color and cultural symbolism.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Within days, statues were removed and celebrations cancelled or renamed, including events tied to the federal César Chavez Day on March 31.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The international film community—including the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice festivals and the American Cinematheque—spoke out against these persecutions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The option of instead using bollards aims to allow for the downtown area to be utilized for community events and festivals without the use of village vehicles and instead use the bollards at Prospect Avenue and Ann Street and at Park Avenue.—
Chuck Fieldman,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Festivities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festivities. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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