festivity

UK/fɛˈstɪvəti/US/fɛˈstɪvəti/

nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #13,230 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: festivities

Festivity is joyful activity that marks a special occasion. An air of festivity, the festivities began, join the festivities.

The plural festivities means the events themselves and is far commoner than the singular, which means the mood. It comes from the same Latin as feast and festival, all from a word meaning a holy day set aside.

Definitions of festivity

1nounfestivityJoyful activity that marks a special occasion.B2+
“The whole town joined in the festivities, with music and fireworks late into the night.”

festivity is a celebration.

Where it comes from

Latin festivitas comes from festivus, festive, from festum, a feast day.

Latin
festīvitas
Middle French
festivité
Middle English
festivite
English, today
festivity

Middle English festivite, from Middle French festivité, from Latin festīvitas, equivalent to festive + -ity.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Weddings & Celebrations

Practise this word

festivity in the wild

The principal festivity takes place on August 15 in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven.
Tingüindín
The traditional Valencian dance called Muixeranga is originally a part of the festivity.
Algemesí
The important festivity associated with this utsavam is "Kettu-Kazhcha" which resembles the Chinese festival celebrated on the birthday of Buddha.
Chettikulangara
In several villages in the Tenom, Beaufort, and Papar districts of Sabah, lamban is considered a symbol of festivity and unity of the local community.
Lamban

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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