car·ni·val
ˈkär-nə-vəl 
1
: a season or festival of merrymaking before Lent
2
a
: an instance of merrymaking, feasting, or masquerading
b
: an instance of riotous excess
a carnival of violence
3
a
: a traveling enterprise offering amusements
b
: an organized program of entertainment or exhibition : festival
a winter carnival
: suggestive of or suited to a carnival
a carnival atmosphere
carnival colors
Examples of carnival in a Sentence
Noun
the school's annual winter carnival
That part of town is a carnival on Friday and Saturday nights.
There is a carnival atmosphere in the office.
The garden became a carnival of color.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025
The incident occurred as people were gathering in central Mannheim for an annual German carnival celebration.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2025
Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
The Square has spooky carnival-style games.
—Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
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Noun
Shayk got involved in the vibrant carnival proceedings at the Marquês de Sapucaí, joining Beija-Flor De Nilopolis, a famous and renowned samba school from Rio for the parade.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025
The incident occurred as people were gathering in central Mannheim for an annual German carnival celebration.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Customers at Starbucks will be introduced to a new interface with a carnival-style wheel.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
The Square has spooky carnival-style games.
—Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
Cite this Entry
“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnival. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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