English Reference

Word

event

US/iˈvɛnt/

UK/ɪvˈɛnt/

Definitions

01something that happens

A1 · Beginner Countable noun

n. something that happens, especially something important or unusual.

n. an occurrence or happening, particularly one of significance or note.

“The local newspaper reported on the main events of the week.”

“The historian argued that the event was not an isolated incident but rather the culmination of years of social unrest.”

02a planned social activity

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. a planned social occasion, such as a party, a meeting, or a wedding.

n. a prearranged social activity or public function.

“The charity is hosting a fundraising event next Saturday evening.”

“The corporate event was meticulously planned to ensure that every stakeholder felt valued and engaged throughout the weekend.”

03a sports competition

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Sports

n. one of the races or competitions in a sports programme.

n. a single contest within a larger sporting competition or programme.

“She is training hard for the 100-metre sprint event.”

“The decathlon consists of ten distinct track and field events held over two consecutive days to test the athletes' versatility.”

Synonyms

04computing/software

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical

n. an action that a computer program notices, like a mouse click.

n. an action or occurrence recognised by software that may be handled by the program.

“The program waits for a click event before opening the new window.”

“The application uses an asynchronous event listener to process user inputs without freezing the primary execution thread.”

Synonyms

05medical incident

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Medicine Technical

n. a sudden and serious health problem, like a heart attack.

n. an episode of a severe or acute health condition.

“The doctor asked if he had ever experienced a cardiac event before.”

“Patients who have suffered a major vascular event require long-term monitoring to mitigate the risk of recurrence.”

Synonyms

06physics/spacetime

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Physics Technical

n. a specific point in time and space.

n. a point in spacetime specified by three spatial coordinates and one temporal coordinate.

“In physics, an event is defined by where and when it happens.”

“Relativity treats an event as a fundamental constituent of the four-dimensional manifold, independent of the observer's frame of reference.”

Synonyms

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “event” in context.

01. events using 02. actual event 03. future event 04. historical event 05. natural event 06. particular event 07. specific event 08. events like 09. event headlines 10. event one

Real-World Examples

“In a social media post advertising the event last week, Tsawwassen First Nation said it had planned a community walk followed by the unveiling of a house post in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.”
BBC News 1 Oct 2026
“The week's headline event will be Chinese President Xi Jinping's three-day state visit to Washington to meet his US counterpart Donald Trump.”
Reuters 18 Sept 2026
“BBC Studios is pleased to announce that its annual content and customer event, BBC Studios Showcase, will return to London’s 180 Studios, The Strand, on 23–24 February 2026.”
BBC Studios 18 Sept 2025
“Reuters today announced the initial lineup of speakers for its premier Reuters NEXT Gulf event in Abu Dhabi on October 22, 2025.”
Reuters 22 Jul 2025

Etymology

From Middle French event, from Latin ēventus (“an event, occurrence”), from ēveniō (“to happen, to fall out, to come out”), from ē (“out of, from”), short form of ex + veniō (“come”); related to venture, advent, convent, invent, convene, evene, etc.

From French éventer.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

Idioms

Domains

ComputingMedicinePhysicsProgramming

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
Frequency
Very common
Level
A1 · BeginnerOxford
Updated

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