car·ni·val
ˈkär-nə-vəl 
1
: a season or festival of merrymaking before Lent
2
a
: an instance of merrymaking, feasting, or masquerading
b
: an instance of riotous excess
a carnival of violence
3
a
: a traveling enterprise offering amusements
b
: an organized program of entertainment or exhibition : festival
a winter carnival
: suggestive of or suited to a carnival
a carnival atmosphere
carnival colors
Examples of carnival in a Sentence
Noun
the school's annual winter carnival
That part of town is a carnival on Friday and Saturday nights.
There is a carnival atmosphere in the office.
The garden became a carnival of color.
Recent Examples on the Web
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2025
The streets of Syria were a carnival of car horns, fireworks and flags after President Donald Trump made the surprise announcement that the United States would lift sanctions that have throttled the country’s economy for more than 45 years.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 14 May 2025
Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
The Square has spooky carnival-style games.
—Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
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Noun
The 2025 concert lineup includes Groove Thang, Jax Hammer and Island of Black and White
Tickets: Free admission
California State Fair
What: The California State Fair features 17 days of concerts, food, carnival rides and agriculture competitions.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2025
The streets of Syria were a carnival of car horns, fireworks and flags after President Donald Trump made the surprise announcement that the United States would lift sanctions that have throttled the country’s economy for more than 45 years.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 14 May 2025
Adjective
Customers at Starbucks will be introduced to a new interface with a carnival-style wheel.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
The Square has spooky carnival-style games.
—Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
Cite this Entry
“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnival. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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