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

To start the weekend festivities on Friday, Kelce and Swift attended Lucali, a pizza spot in Brooklyn. —Bryan West, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

Star of David Hanukkah string lights: on sale for $4.99 Original price: $9.99 (Michaels) Star of David string lights add some festivity to your home. —Christopher Murray, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024

According to this legend, the log must burn in two before the master could call off the festivities and send his laborers back to the fields. —Robert E. May / Made By History, TIME, 19 Dec. 2024

The inaugural committee had roughly $70 million of that in the bank as of Monday, with the rest of the pledged contributions expected to arrive in the coming weeks as the committee prepares the festivities for President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration, sources said. —Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2024

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