1
a
: a time of celebration marked by special observances
b
2
: an often periodic celebration or program of events or entertainment having a specified focus
a daffodil festival
a Greek festival
3
Examples of festival in a Sentence
Noun
Each year, a festival was held to celebrate the harvest.
The town has a summer festival in the park.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
As a festival photographer tried to get into position to shoot the discussion, a front-row patron asked the photographer to move out of the way — and Schnabel quickly intervened.
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
The film also was shown at a number of other festivals before hitting the awards circuit as the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards.
—Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for festival
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Adjective
The event taps into a broader effort by the entire Cannes ecosystem to converse with the creator industry, with TikTok having come on board as a festival sponsor back in 2022 — the first digital-media app to do so.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
As a festival photographer tried to get into position to shoot the discussion, a front-row patron asked the photographer to move out of the way — and Schnabel quickly intervened.
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
The festival runs from May 4 to May 10.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
The film also was shown at a number of other festivals before hitting the awards circuit as the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards.
—Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for festival
Cite this Entry
“Festival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/festival. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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