ENGLISH
REFERENCE

jubilee

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈdʒubəˌɫi// UK //dʒˈuːbɪlˌiː// ju·bilee Archaic

n. a special anniversary of an event, especially one that celebrates a king or queen being in power for a long time. It is a time for big public parties and celebrations.

n. a special anniversary of an event, particularly one marking a significant period of a monarch's reign. Often used with modifiers such as 'silver', 'golden', or 'diamond' to denote specific durations.


SIMPLE

The city held a parade for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

CONTEXTUAL

Street parties were organized across the country to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the monarch's coronation during the Golden Jubilee.

COMPLEX

The silver jubilee served not only as a celebration of twenty-five years of governance but also as a strategic moment to bolster national unity during economic uncertainty.

Origin

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.

Usage

Commonly preceded by a specific material (Silver, Golden, Diamond, Platinum) to indicate the number of years being celebrated.

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