festivity

noun

fes·​tiv·​i·​ty fe-ˈsti-və-tē 

fə-

plural festivities

1

: festival sense 1

2

: the quality or state of being festive : gaiety

3

: festive activity

Synonyms

• cheer
• cheerfulness
• cheeriness
• gaiety
• gayety
• gayness
• glee
• gleefulness
• hilarity
• jocundity
• joviality
• merriment
• merriness
• mirth
• mirthfulness

Examples of festivity in a Sentence

The decorations give the hall an air of festivity.

The festivities will include a parade, a concert, and games for children.

We enjoyed the New Year's Eve festivities.

Recent Examples on the Web

The festivities include a strong lineup of Louisiana-native artists to celebrate the host city. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025

Having a wedding anniversary the day before Valentine’s Day could be like having a birthday just before Christmas — the individual milestone could get lost in the holiday, or festivities could be merged for the sake of convenience. —Sofía Sanchez, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025

The festivities include exclusive merch from KidSuper, $10 vouchers toward rum cocktails at Bourbon Street bars, and a T-Pain show. —Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025

Yet, the sharp-shooting guard will still be in San Francisco for the All-Star festivities. —Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

festivity

noun

fes·​tiv·​i·​ty fes-ˈtiv-ət-ē 

plural festivities

1

: festival sense 1

2

: the quality or state of being festive

3

: festive activity