Find the word definition

Crossword clues for festivity

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
festivity
noun
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Carnivals are about excitement and festivity.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ And she may not show up for the swearing-in and other inaugural festivities the following day.
▪ Are you prepared for all the festivities?
▪ At present, however, the festivities seem light years away, having been eclipsed by a fiscal crisis of mammoth proportions.
▪ In April, a four-day break, including Sevillian Easter festivities costs from £667.
▪ It would be a remarkable party, and already our apartment was acquiring a quality of exaggerated and unrestrained festivity.
▪ The festivities on stage are punctuated by periodic announcements of prizes.
▪ The Christmas tree has been part of the festivities in Britain since the last century.
▪ These happy festivities still occasionally take place.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Festivity

Festivity \Fes*tiv"i*ty\, n.; pl. Festivities. [L. festivitas: cf. F. festivit['e].]

  1. The condition of being festive; social joy or exhilaration of spirits at an entertaintment; joyfulness; gayety.

    The unrestrained festivity of the rustic youth.
    --Bp. Hurd.

  2. A festival; a festive celebration.
    --Sir T. Browne.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
festivity

"festive celebration, feast," late 14c., from Old French festiveté "celebration, festiveness, festival," from Latin festivitatem (nominative festivitas) "good fellowship, generosity," from festivus "festive," from festum "festival or holiday," neuter of festus "of a feast" (see feast (n.)). Related: Festivities.

Wiktionary
festivity

n. 1 (context often pluralized English) A festival or similar celebration. 2 An experience or expression of celebratory feeling, merriment, gaiety.

WordNet
festivity

n. any joyous diversion [syn: celebration]

Usage examples of "festivity".

On days of general festivity, it was the custom of the ancients to adorn their doors with lamps and with branches of laurel, and to crown their heads with a garland of flowers.

The soft, arrhythmic beat of steel drum bands and bird song welcomed them to the festivities.

When the usual festivities had taken place, and the wonted largesses had been distributed, Gunther bade his bride prepare to follow him back to the Rhine with her personal female attendants, who numbered no less than one hundred and sixty-eight.

He was the chief priest from the temple of the Gebers, and had come to Baku to see the Easter festivities.

House of Worship and which will, God willing, through its termination, at the appointed hour, contribute an outstanding share to the projected festivities which are to commemorate the centenary of the Declaration of the Mission of the Founder of our Faith.

The feeling of union within the confederation is kept alive by the common interests of the tribes, their folkmotes, and the festivities which are usually kept in connection with the folkmotes.

Ebinissia, the Crown city of Galea, had been filled with festivities of every sort.

Montoni, though the severity of his temper and the gloominess of his pride prevented him from enjoying such festivities, was extremely willing to promote them.

From the colorful, exciting, traditional festivities of the Mardi Gras arises a baffling mystery for The Shadow to solve.

The frenzied festivities of Mardi Gras complemented her high-strung gaiety.

Part of the afternoon-long festivities included some friendly competition among the cowboys, matching their skills in ranch-related events such as team roping, cutting cattle, tug-of-war on horseback, and breakaway roping, and in gymkhana events such as barrel racing and pole bending.

The wedding of Kogh Taishyuhn to Zehpoor Frainyuhn was completed in less than a quarter-hour, but the festivities stretched on for more than a weekdancing and eating and dancing and guzzling and dancing and ritual mock combats and dancing and a few deadly-serious combats and dancing and pony racing and dancing and more gorging and guzzling, followed as a matter of course by more dancing.

Miss Moppet, childlike, was perfectly overjoyed at the prospect of a wedding in which she was to play a part, and flew from her aunt to Miss Bidwell and Betty, then back to her aunt again in a twitter of excitement at the combination of a journey and festivity as well.

There was an instant sense of high festivity in the evening air from the moment when our guest had so frankly demanded the Oolong tea.

Ranulf celebrated their marriage amid the rollicking festivities of Twelfth Night.