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fes·ti·val

(fĕstə-vəl)

1. An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals.

2. An often regularly recurring program of cultural performances, exhibitions, or competitions: a film festival.

3. Revelry; conviviality.

adj.

Of, relating to, or suitable for a feast or festival; festive.

[From Middle English, festive, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fēstivālis, from Latin fēstīvus, from fēstus; see dhēs- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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