# event

/iˈvɛnt/ (US) · /ɪvˈɛnt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/event
Updated: 2026-07-22

## Senses

### 1. something that happens

noun · CEFR A1

something that happens, especially something important or unusual.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. a planned social activity

noun · CEFR A2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. a sports competition

noun · CEFR B1

one of the races or competitions in a sports programme.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. computing/software

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

### 5. medical incident

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

### 6. physics/spacetime

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a specific point in time and space.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The school is planning a big music event for next month.
- The annual charity event raised more money this year than ever before, thanks to local business sponsors.
- While the historical event was documented by several witnesses, their conflicting accounts make it difficult for modern researchers to establish a definitive timeline of what actually transpired.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.