There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the word festival, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
festival has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
About 10occurrences per million words in modern written English
1750 8.6 1760 10 1770 12 1780 18 1790 17 1800 16 1810 18 1820 19 1830 18 1840 20 1850 19 1860 16 1870 16 1880 15 1890 16 1900 14 1910 12 1920 12 1930 12 1940 10 1950 11 1960 12 1970 12 1980 12 1990 14 2000 15 2010 15/ˈfɛstəv(ə)l/
FESS-tuh-vuhl
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the word festival is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for festival is from 1389.
festival is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: French festival; Latin festivalis.
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