noun B2 Upper-Intermediate Common

carnival

KAH-nih-vuhl

Carnival (noun) means a festive public celebration, often with parades, music, costumes, and dancing, traditionally held before Lent. Example: “Rio's carnival draws millions of visitors every year.”

noun

A festive public celebration, often with parades, music, costumes, and dancing, traditionally held before Lent.

"Rio's carnival draws millions of visitors every year."

"The whole town shuts down for carnival week."

A traveling fair with rides, games, and food stalls.

"The kids begged to go on the Ferris wheel at the carnival."

A chaotic, colourful, or overblown situation or spectacle.

"The trial turned into a media carnival."

How to Use Carnival

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA big, festive celebration or fair — either the religious pre-Lent festival or a traveling amusement fair (called a "funfair" in British English).

UK vs US

In American English "carnival" often means a traveling fair with rides; in British English that's usually called a "funfair," and "carnival" leans toward the parade-and-costume festival sense.

Common pairings

carnival parade carnival atmosphere traveling carnival

Word Forms

carnivaled past tense, carnivalled past tense, carnivals plural, carnivals singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Rio's _____ draws millions of visitors every year.

Etymology

From Italian carnevale, possibly from a Latin phrase meaning roughly "putting away meat" — a reference to the feasting held right before the meat-free fasting period of Lent.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for carnival

rival arrival revival festival survival Percival

See all rhymes for carnival →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “carnival” mean?

The word “carnival” means a festive public celebration, often with parades, music, costumes, and dancing, traditionally held before Lent. In plain terms, a big, festive celebration or fair — either the religious pre-Lent festival or a traveling amusement fair (called a "funfair" in British English).

How do you pronounce “carnival”?

“Carnival” is pronounced KAH-nih-vuhl (/ˈkɑɹnɪvəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “carnival” in a sentence?

Here is “carnival” used in a sentence: “Rio's carnival draws millions of visitors every year.”

What part of speech is “carnival”?

“Carnival” is a noun.

Where does the word “carnival” come from?

The word “carnival” comes from Latin. From Italian carnevale, possibly from a Latin phrase meaning roughly "putting away meat" — a reference to the feasting held right before the meat-free fasting period of Lent.

Is “carnival” a common word?

“Carnival” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “carnival” have?

“Carnival” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a festive public celebration, often with parades, music, costumes, and dancing, traditionally held before Lent.