jubilee

1 of 2

noun

ju·bi·lee ˈjü-bə-(ˌ)lē

ˌjü-bə-ˈlē

plural jubilees

: a special anniversary

especially : a 50th anniversary

: a celebration of such an anniversary

: jubilation

: a season of celebration

often Jubilee : a year of emancipation and restoration provided by ancient Hebrew law to be kept every 50 years by the emancipation of enslaved Hebrews, restoration of alienated lands to their former owners, and omission of all cultivation of the land

: a period of time proclaimed by the Roman Catholic pope ordinarily every 25 years as a time of special solemnity

: a special plenary indulgence granted during a year of jubilee to Roman Catholics who perform certain specified works of repentance and piety

: a religious song of African Americans usually referring to a time of future happiness

jubilee

2 of 2

adjective

often capitalized

: flambé

cherries jubilee

Did you know?

According to Leviticus, every 50th year was to be a time when Hebrew slaves were set free, lands were given back to their former owners, and the fields were not harvested. This year of liberty was announced when a ram's horn was blown. In Hebrew, that ceremonial horn was called a yōbhēl, and the celebratory year took its name from that of the horn. As the Bible was translated into other languages, the concept of the yōbhēl spread around the world, as did its name (albeit with spelling modifications). In Latin, yōbhēl was transcribed as jubilaeus (influenced by Latin jubilare, meaning "to let out joyful shouts"). French-speakers adopted the word as jubilé, and English-speakers created jubilee from the French and Latin forms.

Example Sentences

Noun the town is planning a year-long jubilee in celebration of its founding 200 years ago

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Get into the Christmas spirit with their rendition of this jubilee that welcomes Jesus to life.

Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 2 Dec. 2022 Just days after the death of Elizabeth—who marked her 70th year on the throne this summer with her Platinum Jubilee—Margrethe had a jubilee of her own; in her case, her Golden Jubilee honoring 50 years as monarch.

Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 19 Sep. 2022 They were made by students prior to the platinum jubilee, Megan Campbell noted.

Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2022 In 1897, Queen Victoria celebrated 60 years on the throne with a diamond jubilee that represented the high-water mark of Britain’s imperial power.

Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 8 Aug. 2022 Observed in June to memorialize the Stonewall Uprising that ignited the LGBTQ rights movement in the United States, Pride has evolved into a monthlong jubilee of parades, festivals, picnics and parties.

Maddie Lane, Orlando Sentinel, 22 June 2022 Like thousands of others across the country, her pub is devoting itself to the event this weekend, with a barbeque and games in the garden, face painting and even a special jubilee real ale on tap.

Alexander Smith, NBC News, 1 June 2022 The idea of a jubilee in the 21st century has always been a strange one for me.

Michaela Makusha, refinery29.com, 2 June 2022 Her Majesty the Queen has become the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the United Kingdom.

Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 26 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jubilee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French jubilé, from Late Latin jubilaeus, modification of Late Greek iōbēlaios, from Hebrew yōbhēl ram's horn, jubilee

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of jubilee was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century