jubilee

Meaning

1. (Jewish, countable) A special year of emancipation supposed to be observed every fifty years, when farming was temporarily stopped, certain houses and land which had been sold could be redeemed by the original owners or their relatives, and Hebrew slaves set free.
2. (broadly, countable, uncountable) A special year (originally held every hundred years, then at more frequent intervals, and now declarable by the Pope at any time and also for periods less than a year) in which plenary indulgences and remission from sin can be granted upon making a pilgrimage to Rome or other designated churches.
3. (broadly, countable, uncountable) A major anniversary of an event, particularly the fiftieth (50th) anniversary of a coronation or marriage.
4. (countable, figuratively) A time for release or restitution.
5. (countable, figuratively) A time of celebration or rejoicing.
6. (figuratively, uncountable) Exultation, rejoicing; jubilation.
7. (figuratively, uncountable) The sound of celebration or rejoicing; shouts of joy.
8. (attributive, countable, figuratively, often) A joyful African-American (usually Christian) folk song.
9. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A period of fifty years; a half-century.
10. (countable, obsolete, rare, uncountable) A fiftieth year.

Synonyms

anniversary

festival

celebration

🎉

feast

festivity

gaudy

holiday

party

🥳

pattern

semicentennial

jubilee year

affair

great joy

birthday

🎂

fete

fiesta

gala

Translations

jubilé

Jubiläum

jubileo

giubileo

jubileum

jubileu

jubileum-

ιωβιλαίο

Jubeljahr

αγαλίαση

aniversario

anniversaire

🎂

jubileu

ιωβηλαίο

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈd͡ʒuːbɪliː/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: jubile

Cognate with French: jubilé

Cognate with Latin: iūbilum

Cognate with Italian: giubileo

Cognate with Spanish: jubileo

In summary

From Late Middle English jubile [and other forms], from Middle French jubile, from Old French jubilee, jubileus (modern French jubilé), from Late Latin iūbilaeus (adjective, also treated as a noun), from Ancient Greek ἰωβηλαῖος (iōbēlaîos, “of a jubilee”), from ἰώβηλος (iṓbēlos, “jubilee”) + -ῐος (-ĭos, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Ἰώβηλος (Iṓbēlos) is derived from Hebrew יוֹבֵל (yōḇēl, “ram, trumpet made from a ram’s horn; jubilee”) (because a ram’s horn trumpet was originally used to proclaim the event; see Leviticus 25:9), influenced by Latin iūbilum (“a cry, a shout”) and iūbilō (“to cheer, shout or sing joyfully”). Cognate with Italian giubileo, Spanish jubileo.