# festival

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈfɛstɪvl̩/ · frequency rank #1,940

## Definitions
1. Pertaining to a feast or feast day; festive. (Now only as the noun used attributively.)

## Etymology
From Middle English festival (adjective), from Old French festival (“festive”), from Late Latin fēstīvālis, from Latin fēstīvus (“festive”). By surface analysis, festive + -al. Displaced native Old English frēols. The noun is shortened from festival day, from Middle English festival dai, festiuall day (“feast day, festival”).

## Easily confused with
- **festive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/festival-vs-festive)

## Common misspellings (12)
`efstival`, `fesitval`, `fesstival`, `festiavl`, `festivall`, `festivla`, `festivval`, `festtival`, `festvial`, `fetsival`, `ffestival`, `fsetival`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/festival