Diwali

noun

Di·​wa·​li də-ˈwä-lē 

-ˈvä-

variants or less commonly Divali or Dewali

plural Diwalis also Divalis or Dewalis

: a Hindu festival of lights held in late October or early November

Candlelight and lanterns are traditional beacons of autumn and winter for many cultures—from Diwali to Christmas to Hanukkah—as communities usher in longer nights.

—Leeta-Rose Ballester

Examples of Diwali in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, this is the time for many Indians abroad coming home to celebrate Diwali or attend the peak-wedding seasons, which hits around late October to December and in late January to March, Saxena says. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Dec. 2024

Box office competition Big Bollywood clash Bollywood witnessed one of the biggest box office clashes of the year when Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again decided a Diwali release. —Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

In addition, this year’s Holidays of Light displays include Lunar New Year, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, Hanukkah, Visakha Puja Day and St. Lucia Day. —Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Nov. 2024

This year, the brand's value has continued to climb, and recent releases from the company feature more inclusive Barbies including a doll in honor of Diwali and several with different abilities. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi dīvālī, divālī, going back to Middle Indo-Aryan dīvālī-, dīvāvalī-, going back to Sanskrit dīpāvaliḥ "row of lights, the Diwali festival," from dīpaḥ "lamp, light" (noun extracted from dīpayati "[s/he] sets alight, lights, illuminates," causative derivative from the base of dī́deti "[it] shines, is bright") + āvaliḥ "row, line" (of uncertain origin) — more at psychedelic entry 1

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above