Revelment

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of engaging in joyful festivities and embracing enjoyment is often characterized by exuberance and merrymaking
2. The process of taking part in spirited and cheerful festivities
3. Engaging wholeheartedly in enjoyment and merry-making with enthusiasm

Etymology: "Revelment" is a plain English formation: the verb "revel" with the suffix "-ment," which turns a verb into a noun naming the act or result of the action. "Revel" itself came into English from Old French "reveler," meaning to rebel or make a noisy celebration, and the sense of boisterous merrymaking developed from there. Adding "-ment" yields a noun for the activity of revelling, so the word refers to the act of joining in lively festivity rather than to any single party. The "-ment" suffix is one of English's most productive noun-forming endings, and it has been attached to many verbs over the centuries, sometimes producing words that were used for only a short time. "Revelment" follows that pattern directly and does not carry a separate history of its own.

Synonyms: celebration, festivity, merriment, joyfulness, exuberance