What does "banquet" mean?

1. (formal celebratory meal) a large, formal dinner for many people, often held to celebrate something or someone. 2. (to feast) to eat a very large and fancy meal. 3. (dessert course) a course of sweet food or fruit served at the end of a meal.

How do you use "banquet"?

often used intransitively to describe the act of eating grandly

banquet

n. · v.

US //ˈbæŋkwət// UK //bˈæŋkwɪt// ban·quet

1 formal celebratory meal (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

a large, formal dinner for many people, often held to celebrate something or someone.

a ceremonial dinner party for a large group of people, often featuring speeches and formal dress.

Example

The city held a grand banquet to honour the returning Olympic athletes.

Example

The annual charity banquet was held in the hotel's main ballroom, where hundreds of donors gathered to hear the keynote address.
2 to feast (v.)
C1 Advanced Literary

to eat a very large and fancy meal.

to participate in a banquet or to feast sumptuously.

Example

The guests banqueted on fine wine and roasted meats until late at night.

Example

In the ancient hall, the victorious knights banqueted for three days, celebrating their hard-won peace with endless music and food.

Usage

often used intransitively to describe the act of eating grandly
- feast
- dine
- fast
- starve

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3 dessert course (n.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic Cooking

a course of sweet food or fruit served at the end of a meal.

a course of sweetmeats or fruit served as dessert.

Example

After the main dishes were cleared, the servants brought out a banquet of dried fruits.

Example

The historical records describe a lavish banquet of sugared almonds and preserved ginger served in the garden gallery after the primary feast.

Teacher's tip

This sense is found in historical texts and Shakespearean literature; modern speakers only use 'banquet' for the entire meal.
- dessert
- confection