celebration

cel·e·bra·tion
C3E1L1E1B3R1A1T1I1O1N1
UK/ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/Canada, US/ˌsɛl.əˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/Canada, US/ˌsɛlˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/Australia/ˌsel.əˈbɹæɪ.ʃən/

noun

The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament.

“We will attend the Christmas celebration in church.”

CommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nouncelebration (countable and uncountable, plural celebrations)

plural celebrations

  1. countableuncountableThe formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament.

    We will attend the Christmas celebration in church.

  2. countableuncountableThe observance of a holiday or feast day, as by solemnities.

    The celebrations around here for Easter are enjoyable.

    1 more example

    In a Chinese New Year video message posted on her Facebook page yesterday, President Halimah Yacob said the fact that the celebrations here also commonly embrace those of other races is "true to the Singapore spirit".

    2019 February 5, Adrian Lim, “Multiracial CNY celebrations true to Singapore spirit: President Halimah”, in The Straits Times, Singapore, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Feb 2019
  3. countableuncountableThe act or process of showing appreciation, joy, gratitude and/or remembrance, notably as a social event.

    She jumped in the air in celebration of her success.

    1 more example

    Waltz into a grand Austrian celebration this fall on the Danube River on an eight-day cruise marking the 300th birthday of Maria Theresa of Austria, whose one-time titles included Holy Roman Empress; Queen of Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia and Slavonia; Archduchess of Austria; and Duchess of Parma.

    2017 August 23, Rosemary McClure, “Party like its^([sic]) 1717 on a Danube River cruise celebrating Maria Theresa of Austria”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 Aug 2017

    Synonyms: jubilation, merriment · Antonyms: lamentation, mourning

  4. countableuncountableA social gathering for entertainment and fun; a party.

    We are having a celebration at McDonald's for my dad's new job.

    1 more example

    Next week includes celebrations for both Martin's birthday and for his new job.

    Synonyms: See Thesaurus:celebration

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe act or process of showing appreciation, joy, gratitude and/or remembrance, notably as a social event.

nounA social gathering for entertainment and fun; a party.

Similar
See Thesaurus:celebration
Narrower

More synonyms by meaning

nouna joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event

Similar

nounany joyous diversion

Similar

nounthe public performance of a sacrament or solemn ceremony with all appropriate ritual

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincelebratio
  2. Old Frenchcelebration
  3. Englishcelebration

From Old French celebration, from Latin celebratio. Equivalent to celebrate + -ion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans selebrasie
  • selebrasiesocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Arabic اِحْتِفَال, اِحْتِفَال
  • اِحْتِفَال (iḥtifāl)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • اِحْتِفَال (iḥtifāl)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • مِهْرَجَان (mihrajān)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • مَهْرَجَان (mahrajān)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Bulgarian че́стване, че́стване
  • че́стване (čéstvane)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • че́стване (čéstvane)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • просла́ва (prosláva)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • възхва́ла (văzhvála)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • тържество́ (tăržestvó)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • празну́ване (praznúvane)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • празненство́ (praznenstvó)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • пра́зник (práznik)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Catalan celebració
  • celebraciósocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Chinese Mandarin 慶典 /庆典, 慶祝 /庆祝
  • 慶典 /庆典 (qìngdiǎn)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • 慶祝 /庆祝 (qìngzhù)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Czech oslava
  • oslavasocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Danish fejring, fest
  • fejringact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • festsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Dutch viering, feestviering
  • vieringformal performance of a solemn rite
  • feestvieringobservance of a holiday or feast day, as by solemnities
  • gedachtenisact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • herdenkingact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • vieringact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • festiviteitsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • feestsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • fuifsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • vieringsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • celebratiesocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Esperanto festo
  • festosocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Estonian pidu
  • pidusocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Finnish juhla, juhlinta
  • juhlaformal performance of a solemn rite
  • juhlintaobservance of a holiday or feast day, as by solemnities
  • viettoobservance of a holiday or feast day, as by solemnities
  • juhlaact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • juhlatsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
French célébration, célébration
  • célébrationformal performance of a solemn rite
  • célébrationsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • fêtesocial gathering for entertainment and fun
German Feier, Feier
  • Feierformal performance of a solemn rite
  • Feiersocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • Festsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • Zelebrationsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Greek γιορτή, γιορτή
  • γιορτή (giortí)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • γιορτή (giortí)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • εορτή (eortí)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • γλέντι (glénti)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Hebrew חֲגִיגָה
  • חֲגִיגָה (khagigá)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
Hindi जशन, उत्सव
  • जशन (jaśan)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • उत्सव (utsav)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Italian celebrazione, ricorrenza
  • celebrazioneformal performance of a solemn rite
  • ricorrenzaformal performance of a solemn rite
  • festasocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Japanese お祝い, 祝賀
  • お祝い (o-iwai)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • 祝賀 (shukuga)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • 慶祝 (keishuku)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • お祝い (o-iwai)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • 祝賀 (shukuga)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • 慶祝 (keishuku)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Korean 축하, 경축
  • 축하 (chukha)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • 경축 (gyeongchuk)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • 축하 (chukha)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • 축제 (chukje)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • 경축 (gyeongchuk)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Latin convīvium
  • convīviumsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Malay perayaan
  • perayaansocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Norwegian Bokmål feiring, feiring
  • feiringformal performance of a solemn rite
  • feiringsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Persian جشن, جشن
  • جشن (jašn)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • جشن (jašn)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Polish celebracja, celebra
  • celebracjaformal performance of a solemn rite
  • celebraformal performance of a solemn rite
  • uroczystośćact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • uroczystośćsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • świętowaniesocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Portuguese celebração, celebração
  • celebraçãoformal performance of a solemn rite
  • celebraçãosocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Romanian celebrare, celebrație
  • celebrareformal performance of a solemn rite
  • celebrațieformal performance of a solemn rite
  • sărbătorireformal performance of a solemn rite
  • festivitateact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • celebrareact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • sărbătoaresocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • petreceresocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • serbaresocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • celebrațiesocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Russian пра́зднование, торжество́
  • пра́зднование (prázdnovanije)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • торжество́ (toržestvó)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • че́ствование (čéstvovanije)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • че́ствование (čéstvovanije)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • прославле́ние (proslavlénije)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • восхвале́ние (vosxvalénije)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • пра́зднование (prázdnovanije)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • пра́здник (prázdnik)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • торжество́ (toržestvó)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • пра́зднество (prázdnestvo)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Slovak oslava
  • oslavasocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Spanish celebración
  • celebraciónsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Swahili sherehe, sherehe
  • shereheformal performance of a solemn rite
  • shereheact or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • sherehesocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Swedish firande, fest
  • firandeformal performance of a solemn rite
  • festsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Tamil கொண்டாட்டம், கொண்டாட்டம்
  • கொண்டாட்டம் (koṇṭāṭṭam)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • கொண்டாட்டம் (koṇṭāṭṭam)observance of a holiday or feast day, as by solemnities
  • கொண்டாட்டம் (koṇṭāṭṭam)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • கொண்டாட்டம் (koṇṭāṭṭam)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Turkish kutlama, kutlama
  • kutlamaformal performance of a solemn rite
  • kutlamasocial gathering for entertainment and fun
  • bayramsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Ukrainian святкува́ння, торжество́
  • святкува́ння (svjatkuvánnja)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • торжество́ (toržestvó)formal performance of a solemn rite
  • урочи́стість (uročýstistʹ)act or process of showing gratitude, appreciation or remembrance
  • святкува́ння (svjatkuvánnja)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • свя́то (svjáto)social gathering for entertainment and fun
  • урочи́стість (uročýstistʹ)social gathering for entertainment and fun
Welsh dathliad
  • dathliadsocial gathering for entertainment and fun
Yiddish שׂמחה
  • שׂמחה (simkhe)social gathering for entertainment and fun

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with celebration

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

celebration. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/celebration

MLA

“celebration.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/celebration. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “celebration,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/celebration.

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