Deepavali

D2E1E1P3A1V4A1L1I1

proper noun

Diwali; the Hindu "festival of light" observed in October and November.

OriginTamil தீபாவளி (tīpāvaḷi) ← Sanskrit दीपावलि (dīpāvali) →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. IndiaMalaysiaSingaporeSouthDiwali; the Hindu "festival of light" observed in October and November.

    Diwali, which falls on Oct. 20 this year, is derived from the word “Deepavali,” which means “a row of lights.”

    2025 October 7, Deepa Bharath, “California makes Diwali an official statewide holiday”, in KCRA
    1 more example

    Diwali, also known as Deepavali and the Hindu “Festival of Lights,” is one of India's most widely celebrated holidays.

    2024 October 30, Chandelis Duster, “Millions of people celebrate Diwali this week. Here is what you should know”, in NPR

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
diwali

Origin

  1. Sanskritदीप (dīpa)
  2. Sanskritआवलि (āvali)
  3. Sanskritदीपावलि (dīpāvali)
  4. Tamilதீபாவளி (tīpāvaḷi)
  5. EnglishDeepavali

Borrowed from Tamil தீபாவளி (tīpāvaḷi), from Sanskrit दीपावलि (dīpāvali, literally “row of lights”). Doublet of Diwali.

More words from Tamil, Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Deepavali. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Deepavali

MLA

“Deepavali.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Deepavali. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Deepavali,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Deepavali.

Source: Deepavali on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.