Saturnalia

[ sat-er-ney-lee-uh, -neyl-yuh ]

noun

, plural Sat·ur·na·li·a, Sat·ur·na·li·as.

1. (sometimes used with a plural verb) the festival of Saturn, celebrated in December in ancient Rome as a time of unrestrained merrymaking.
2. (lowercase) unrestrained revelry; orgy.

Saturnalia

/ ˌsætəˈneɪlɪə /

noun

1. an ancient Roman festival celebrated in December: renowned for its general merrymaking
2. sometimes not capital a period or occasion of wild revelry

Derived Forms

• ˌSaturˈnalian, adjective

Other Words From

• Satur·nali·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Saturnalia¹

1585–95; < Latin Sāturnālia, equivalent to Sāturn ( us ) Saturn + -ālia, neuter plural of -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of Saturnalia¹

C16: from Latin Sāturnālis relating to Saturn ¹

Example Sentences

That is the sense of the Saturnalia, of Mardi Gras and of these moments of entertainment.

From The Daily Beast

It was not worn out of the house except on the Saturnalia, and was usually of some bright color.

From Project Gutenberg

One cannot help wondering who first conceived the idea of these horrid saturnalia.

From Project Gutenberg

By the light of Wycherley's comedies one may imagine the Restoration saturnalia of this wedding feast!

From Project Gutenberg

It was a sort of convulsion of nature and the fish seemed to look upon it as an opportunity for a Saturnalia.

From Project Gutenberg

Each village, in the absence of the baron at the assembly of the nations, enjoyed a kind of saturnalia.

From Project Gutenberg