festival

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
Noun
  • Jake was at Los Angeles’ Union Station for a celebration of life event for a friend when his sister called.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The shows are billed as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of debut LP Reasonable Doubt, which kicked off the 56-year-old’s illustrious career in 1996.
    Sophie Williams, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • At the Sugar Bowl in 2019, Bevo broke away from his handlers and escaped, charging at Uga during the pregame festivities.
    Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The festivities have included shows in New York City, and upcoming gigs in Los Angeles, Paris, and London, a series of pop-up events and activations, and even a run of commemorative library cards with the Brooklyn Public Library system.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
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

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Cite this Entry

“Festival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festival. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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