FESTIVAL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does festival mean? 

• FESTIVAL (noun)
  The noun FESTIVAL has 2 senses:

1. a day or period of time set aside for feasting and celebration

2. an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place)

  Familiarity information: FESTIVAL used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FESTIVAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A day or period of time set aside for feasting and celebration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("festival" is a kind of...):

period; period of time; time period (an amount of time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "festival"):

church festival; religious festival (a festival having religious significance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

festival; fete

Context example:

a drama festival

Hypernyms ("festival" is a kind of...):

celebration; festivity (any joyous diversion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "festival"):

carnival (a festival marked by merrymaking and processions)

Bacchanalia; Dionysia (an orgiastic festival in ancient Greece in honor of Dionysus (= Bacchus))

eisteddfod (any of several annual Welsh festivals involving artistic competitions (especially in singing))

film festival (a cinematic festival that features films (usually films produced during the past year))

jazz festival (a festival that features performances by jazz artists)

Kwanza; Kwanzaa (a festival featuring African-American culture; celebrated between Christmas and New Year)

Oktoberfest (an autumn festival that involves merrymaking and drinking beer)

Saturnalia (an orgiastic festival in ancient Rome in honor of Saturn)

sheepshearing (a festival held at the time sheep are normally sheared)

 Context examples 

But someone did pass, and who should it be but Meg, looking particularly ladylike in her state and festival suit, for she had been making calls.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“Are you the knight who came every day to the festival, always in different colours, and who caught the three golden apples?” asked the king.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

“They sing very joyfully,” said Du Guesclin, “as though they were going to a festival.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Could I enter into a festival with this deadly weight yet hanging round my neck and bowing me to the ground?

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

On this festival, the servants drive a herd of Yahoos into the field, laden with hay, and oats, and milk, for a repast to the Houyhnhnms; after which, these brutes are immediately driven back again, for fear of being noisome to the assembly.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Their favour increased; they could not be spared; Sir John would not hear of their going; and in spite of their numerous and long arranged engagements in Exeter, in spite of the absolute necessity of returning to fulfill them immediately, which was in full force at the end of every week, they were prevailed on to stay nearly two months at the park, and to assist in the due celebration of that festival which requires a more than ordinary share of private balls and large dinners to proclaim its importance.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

From Orwell to the Dart there was no port which did not send forth its little fleet, gay with streamer and bunting, as for a joyous festival.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

After this, the boys dispersed for a final lark, leaving Mrs. March and her daughters under the festival tree.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“He is at work in the garden; the queer creature has been at the festival too, and only came home yesterday evening; he has likewise shown my children three golden apples which he has won.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

With the air of a man who hastes to a joyous festival, he waved his lance in salute, and reining the pawing horse round without permitting its fore-feet to touch the ground, he hastened back to his station.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)