Catherine D. Bowen
Did you know?
Fete is a word worth celebrating. It's been around since Middle English, when it was used in a manuscript to refer to "fetes, spectacles and other worldly vanytees." Since the 19th century, fete has been doing double duty, also serving as a verb meaning "to honor or commemorate with a fete." You can honor fete by remembering that it entered English from Middle French, and that it derives ultimately from the Old French feste, meaning "festival"—a root that, not surprisingly, also gave English the word feast. Because of its French ties, you will sometimes see fete spelled with a circumflex above the first e (fête), as that's how it appears in that language.
Synonyms
Examples of fete in a Sentence
Caryn James, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023
The two were photographed leaving Beyoncé and Jay-Z's annual fete at Chateau Marmont in the same car around 4 a.m. Earlier in the night, Jenner joined her celebrity friends at Vanity Fair's after-party.
—Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Mar. 2023
Hundreds of guests attended his birthday fete at the Park Avenue Armory, a structure built in the late nineteenth century for a national guard regiment assigned to protect the mansions of upper Manhattan from the envious hordes it was feared might come marauding from tenements farther east.
—Kim Phillips-Fein, The New York Review of Books, 28 Sep. 2023
For a fancy fete to remember, surprise your guests with special memorabilia, like this limited-edition coronation scarf created by Harrods.
—Sophie Dweck, townandcountrymag.com, 24 Apr. 2023
Film at Lincoln Center, which presents the annual fete, on Tuesday announced the 32 films that comprise the main slate of the 61st edition.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 Aug. 2023
Other stars, including Julia Fox, Emma Watson, and Emma Corrin, were also in attendance at the Fashion Week fete.
—Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023
But there was also a very heavy fashion contingent gathered at the fete—designers Joseph Altuzarra, Reed Krakoff, Rebecca Minkoff, Tanya Taylor, Marina Larroudé, Jennifer Fisher, and Aerin Lauder were all present alongside the likes of Brooke Shields, Katie Couric, Nicky Rothschild.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2023
The fete, presented by Live Nation, is a yearly celebration honoring those in Black music who have exemplified positivity and helped promote equity in the community.
—Xennia Hamilton, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Aug. 2023
William Earl, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Downey, 58, will be feted on Friday, Feb. 9, at Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theatre.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2023
Having a plethora of artists singing his music and feting his work is light years away from Milsap’s difficult childhood.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2023
Kerry Condon, Jessie Buckley and Eve Hewson were feted last year.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2023
Talks by honorees such as producer Jon Kilik, a longtime Spike Lee and Julian Schnabel collaborator, feted this year for work of special visual sensitivity, are also expected to sell out lecture halls.
—Will Tizard, Variety, 6 Nov. 2023
During a recent gala dinner at a horse farm outside of Louisville, the three generations of Russells were feted with speeches, southern cooking, and lots of whiskey, including ample pours of Generations.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2023
Music Santana feted at Kennedy Center Honors Dec. 8, 2013
Santana is now planning two new albums.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2023
Advertisement The last National League outfit to be similarly feted was the Big Red Machine of the ‘70s.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 11 July 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near fete
Cite this Entry
“Fete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fete. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
fete
2 of 2 verb
More from Merriam-Webster on fete
Nglish: Translation of fete for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of fete for Arabic Speakers
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