Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals.
- n. An often regularly recurring program of cultural performances, exhibitions, or competitions: a film festival.
- n. Revelry; conviviality.
- adj. Of, relating to, or suitable for a feast or festival; festive.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Of, pertaining to, or befitting a feast; attending or marking a joyous celebration; joyous; festal: as, a festival entertainment.
- n. A festal day; a feast; a time of feasting; an anniversary or appointed day of festive celebration.
- n. Synonyms Banquet, etc. See feast.
Wiktionary
- adj. Pertaining to a feast or feast-day. (Now only as the noun used attributively.)
- n. An event or community gathering, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some theme, sometimes on some unique aspect of the community.
- n. In mythology, a set of celebrations in the honour of a god.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Pertaining to a fest; festive; festal; appropriate to a festival; joyous; mirthful.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place)
- n. a day or period of time set aside for feasting and celebration
Etymologies
- From Late Latin fēstīvālis, from Latin fēstīvus ("festive"). (Wiktionary)
- From Middle English, festive, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fēstivālis, from Latin fēstīvus, from fēstus. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“If we assign three weeks to each festival -- including the time spent on the journeys, and the delays before and after the celebration, together with the _festival week_, it will be a small allowance for the cessation of their regular labor.”
“If we assign three weeks to each festival -- including the time spent on the journey going and returning, and the delays before and after the celebration, together with the _festival week_; it will be a small allowance for the cessation of their regular labor.”
“One of the highlights of the festival is a dinner with a deadly difference.”
“A friend of mine lived in Pilton (where the festival is actually held), and I still didn't want to go to the festival.”
For the benefit of the BBC "I DON'T CARE ABOUT GLASTONBURY !"
“Because the festival is a modern invention: the book The Roots of Environmental Consciousness, edited by Stephen Hussey and Paul Richard Thompson, says it was first held in 1997.”
“This festival is a Friends of Green Spring-sponsored fundraiser filled with adult and family activities, silent auction and an expanded plant and garden craft sale.”
The Washington Post: Green Scene: The bounty of fall includes tours, lectures and workshops
“I think the festival is a great event and offers a little something for everyone.”
“Despite the obvious question marks, I think the festival is actually not a bad idea, though making the city the center of the universe for all things Wagner for a few weeks may still be a bit of a stretch.”
“My South by Southwest escapade may be over, but if the film portion of the festival is any indication, 2008 might shape up to be a pretty great year in film.”
SXSW 2008: Master Pancake and “Second Skin” » Scene-Stealers
“But the real focus of activity for the festival is the Teatro Juárez (1903, above) which faces the main plaza of downtown Guanajuato, el Jardín de la Unión.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘festival’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11250 more...
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RELI - words with Biblical connotations
Words in the Bible evoking biblical stories or with special spiritual meaning. Proper names have been reduced to the minimum.
ark, judgement, holy, saint, baptism, spirit, love, eternal, altar, balsam, covenant, flood and 1115 more...
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The Buzz
The bang, the cannonade,
the bale, the hum.lab situation, media, startup, scientific, gameplay, social, intuitive, creative, collaborative, funding, non-governmental ..., consultant and 124 more...
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Fun to Say
Non-English is okay, but please don't add misspellings.
writhe, quibble, smock, festival, carnival, unicycle, panorama, mammogram, explicit, prehensile, pseudonym, antonym and 18 more...
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French words in German language
words and phrases with french background commonly used in the german language, so-called "Gallizismen"
trottoir, paravent, rayon, perron, fauteuil, garage, arrangement, etablissement, portemonnaie, parterre, coupé, voliere and 123 more...
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je les adore!
fusillade, foal, celestial, abattoir, byzantium, berlin, casablanca, babylon, balkans, albion, avalon, between the devil... and 471 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
a, abandon, ability, able, abortion, about, above, abroad, absence, absolute, absolutely, absorb and 4334 more...
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ADW1
obdurate, obstinate, behest, injunction, enjoin, circumspect, ensconce, discursive, lugubrious, doleful, somber, ken and 2476 more...
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Tulip Names I
No rhyme or reason other than that I like the names. :-) For more flower fun, see these lists:
Rose words by mollusque
Rose varieties by mollusque
Tulip Names II: You Know ...abbey dream, abbey road, abodement, abra, abra elite, academician tstisin, acapulco, ace of diamonds, acropolis, ad hoc, adamo, addis and 597 more...
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words that make me happy
christmas, kate, glitter, sparkle, ice, icicle, snow, polar, aurora borealis, northern lights, skylight, fairy lights and 71 more...
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I like: F
faen, faery, fait accompli, farfalle, fascist, fata morgana, fatalist, fatherland, faun, fenrir, ferrule, festival and 26 more...
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Shindigs
hoo-ha, shindig, soiree, convention, congress, confabulation, rap session, bash, blowout, fete, gala, festival and 36 more...
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Moon
grapefruit, full, moonshadow, moondance, a display of one'..., waning, new, river, lunar, phase, man in the, apollo and 53 more...
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MEC4 Lesson 145
abandon, headquarters, lambada, association, catch on, sort, primal, deep-seated, sticky, rightful, technically, close and 55 more...
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Swell
groundbreaking, swell, create, experience, festival, chemistry, collaboration, undercurrent
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shindig
shivarees, fiestas, and other celebrations
shivaree, shindig, hoedown, fiesta, celebration, party, partay, revel, gala, ball, masquerade, bash and 43 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for festival.
winddancer A lot of festivals take place during summer. Jul 16, 2009