celebratory

adjective

cel·​e·​bra·​to·​ry ˈse-lə-brə-ˌtȯr-ē 

ˌse-lə-ˈbrā-tə-rē

: of, relating to, expressing, or characterized by celebration

The tone of the article was celebratory.

Both band and audience seemed in celebratory moods, with massive cheers erupting when the lights went out …

—Emily Burnham

: used or intended for use in celebrating

We went for a celebratory drink after the game.

And you can even find meals that don't have any turkey at all; for many Westerners, Thanksgiving dinner is more about celebratory feasting than ironclad tradition, so chefs update their menus with everything from lobster with tomato-basil polenta to butternut squash lasagna.

—Colleen Dunn Bates

Also beginning in earnest is the crop of celebratory activities to mark the 250th anniversary of the quintessential college town.

—James Heflin

Examples of celebratory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The celebratory holiday is typically observed with a ritual meal known as a seder, accompanied by traditional foods – including matzah (unleavened bread) – and kosher wine. —Bailey Allen, Cape Cod Times, 28 Mar. 2026

Tucker drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the eighth inning and Diaz closed it out in the ninth, as the Dodgers ended the celebratory night with a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. —Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026

The celebratory mood on social media didn’t survive the night. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2026

Nothing captures the celebratory mood of the Vanity Fair Oscar Party 2026 like a photo booth. —Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for celebratory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory
• consolatory