noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/fɛˈstɪvəti/
/fɛˈstɪvɪti/
rare:/fɪ-/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:F EH0 S T IH1 V AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A festival or similar celebration.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: often pluralized
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An experience or expression of celebratory feeling, merriment, gaiety.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
any joyous diversion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: celebration
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: diversion, recreation
Narrower terms: agon, merrymaking, conviviality, jollification, feria, festival, fete, gala, gala affair, jamboree, blowout, Ludi Saeculares, secular games, victory celebration
History
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English festivite, from Middle French festivité, from Latin festīvitas, equivalent to festive + -ity.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
տոնակատարություն
(tonakatarutʻyun)
— festival
Armenian:
հանդես
(handes)
— festival
Armenian:
հանդիսավորություն
(handisavorutʻyun)
— festival
Azerbaijani:
şənlik
— festival
Azerbaijani:
bayram etmə
— festival
Azerbaijani:
təntənə
— festival
Azerbaijani:
toy-bayram
— festival
Azerbaijani:
qurğu
— festival
Bengali:
শাদিয়ানা
(śadiẏana)
— festival
Bulgarian:
празнуване
(praznuvane)
— festival
Bulgarian:
честване
(čestvane)
— festival
Catalan:
festivitat
— festival
Chinese Mandarin:
節日 /节日
(jiērì)
— festival
Chinese Mandarin:
喜慶日 /喜庆日
(xǐqìngrì)
— festival
Dutch:
festiviteit
— festival
Finnish:
juhlallisuudet
— festival
Finnish:
juhlat
— festival
Finnish:
festivaali
— festival
French:
festivité
— festival
French:
réjouissances
— festival
Galician:
festividade
— festival
Galician:
festa
— festival
German:
Fest
— festival
German:
Festlichkeit
— festival
Italian:
festività
— festival
Portuguese:
festividade
— festival
Russian:
пра́зднование
(prázdnovanije)
— festival
Russian:
пра́зднества
(prázdnestva)
— festival
Russian:
торжество́
(toržestvó)
— festival
Spanish:
festividad
— festival
Telugu:
ఉత్సవము
(utsavamu)
— festival
Armenian:
ցնծություն
(cʻncutʻyun)
— experience or expression
Azerbaijani:
şənlik
— experience or expression
Azerbaijani:
təntənə
— experience or expression
Catalan:
festivitat
— experience or expression
Chinese Mandarin:
慶典 /庆典
(qìngdiǎn)
— experience or expression
Dutch:
vreugde
— experience or expression
Finnish:
juhlamieli
— experience or expression
French:
réjouissances
— experience or expression
German:
Festlichkeit
— experience or expression
Portuguese:
festividade
— experience or expression
Russian:
весе́лье
(vesélʹje)
— experience or expression
