jubilee
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jubilee¹
- /ˈd͡ʒuːbɪliː/ UK
- /ˌd͡ʒuːbɪˈliː/ UK
- /ˈd͡ʒuːbɪl/ UK
- /ˈd͡ʒubəˌli/ US
- /ˌd͡ʒubəˈli/ US
- /ˈd͡ʒubəl/ US
Rhymes with (one pronunciation) -iː
Where it comes from
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.
noun jubilees · jubile · Jubilee
- A special year of emancipation supposed to be observed every fifty years, when farming was temporarily stopped, certain houses and land which had been sold could be redeemed by the original owners or their relatives, and Hebrew slaves set free. And thou ſhalt number ſeuen Sabbaths of yeeres vnto thee, ſeuen times ſeuen yeeres, and the ſpace of the ſeuen Sabbaths of yeeres, ſhall be vnto thee fourtie and nine yeeres. Then ſhalt thou cauſe the trumpet of the Jubile to ſound, on the tenth day of the ſeuenth moneth, in the day of atonement ſha
- A special year (originally held every hundred years, then at more frequent intervals, and now declarable by the Pope at any time and also for periods less than a year) in which plenary indulgences and remission from sin can be granted upon making a pilgrimage to Rome or other designated churches.
- A major anniversary of an event, particularly the fiftieth (50th) anniversary of a coronation or marriage. [A] married couple, when celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage-day, are said to keep their golden jubilee, but on the 25th anniversary they have credit only for a silver jubilee.
- A time for release or restitution. [T]hough it be in the povver of the vveakeſt arme to take avvay life, it is not in the ſtrongeſt to deprive us of death: […] the firſt day of our Jubilee is death; the Devill hath therefore failed of his deſires; vvee are happier vvith death than vve ſhould have been vvithout it: there is no miſery
- A time of celebration or rejoicing. But you firſt ſhall taſte / The bounty of our Court, with royall Preſents / Both to the Duke your maſter, and the Princeſſe; / It done, prepare we for this great ſolemnity, / Of Hymeneall Iubilies.
- Exultation, rejoicing; jubilation. Hee cauſed his little Sonne to goe vvith great State to Sandai to the Dairi, that is, to bovv the head thrice before him dovvne to the Mats, vvho entertayned him vvith a ſolemne feaſt, vvith great Iubilee in alteration of names and titles of honour to the Nobles.
- The sound of celebration or rejoicing; shouts of joy. […] Heav'n rung / VVith Jubilee, and loud Hoſanna's fill'd / Th' eternal Regions: […]
- A joyful African-American (usually Christian) folk song.
- A period of fifty years; a half-century. Hovv their faiths could decline ſo low, as to concede their generations in heaven, to be made by the ſmell of a citron, or that the felicity of their Paradiſe ſhould conſiſt in a Jubile of conjunction, that is a coition of one act prolonged unto fifty years.
- A fiftieth year. But is't poſſible he ſhould believe he is not of age? vvhy / He is 50, man, in's Jubile I vvarrant: s'light, he / Looks older then a groat, the very ſtamp on's face is / VVorne out vvith handling.
Jubilee²
Where it comes from
See jubilee. The proper noun sense (“London Underground line”) was named after the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926–2022) in 1977.
proper noun
- A London Underground line which runs between Stratford in East London and Stanmore in northwest London, via the London Docklands, South Bank, and West End.
noun Jubilees
- Alternative letter-case form of jubilee (“(Jewish history) special year of emancipation supposed to be observed every fifty years; (Roman Catholicism) special year in which plenary indulgences and remission from sin can be granted”) [T]hough it be in the povver of the vveakeſt arme to take avvay life, it is not in the ſtrongeſt to deprive us of death: […] the firſt day of our Jubilee is death; the Devill hath therefore failed of his deſires; vvee are happier vvith death than vve ſhould have been vvithout it: there is no miſery
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: holy, anniversary, birthday, millenium, glory, millennium, bailey, atonement, chang, amnesty, festival, commemoration, gala, fete, celebration, fiesta
Translations
Every language
noun (Jewish history) special year of emancipation supposed to be observed every fifty years
| 한국어 | 성년 seongnyeon |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 聖年 seinen |
| 中文 | 聖年 /圣年 shèngnián, 禧年 xǐnián |
| Português | jubileu |
| Deutsch | Jobeljahr, Jubeljahr, Erlassjahr, Erlaßjahr, Halljahr |
| Română | jubileu, an jubiliar, an de veselie |
| עברית | יוֹבֵל yovél, שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל sh'nat ha-yovél |
noun (Roman Catholicism) special year in which plenary indulgences and remission from sin can be granted upon making a pilgrimage
| 日本語 | 聖年 seinen |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 禧年 xǐnián |
| Deutsch | Jubeljahr |
| Italiano | giubileo |
| Română | jubileu |
noun major anniversary of an event, particularly the 50th anniversary of a coronation or marriage
| Español | jubileo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 기념일 ginyeomil, 기념제 ginyeomje |
| 日本語 | 記念日 kinenbi, 記年祭 kinensai |
| 中文 | 紀念日 /纪念日 jìniànrì |
| हिन्दी | जयंती jayantī, सालगिरह sālgirah |
| Kiswahili | jubilii, Yubile |
| Português | jubileu |
| Français | jubilé |
| Deutsch | Jubiläum |
| Italiano | giubileo |
| Ελληνικά | ιωβηλαίο iovilaío |
| Română | jubileu |
| Русский | юбиле́й jubiléj |
| العربية | يُوبِيل yūbīl |
| עברית | יוֹבֵל yovél |
noun time of celebration or rejoicing
| हिन्दी | उत्सव utsav |
|---|---|
| Русский | юбиле́й jubiléj, пра́зднество prázdnestvo |
noun joyful African-American (usually Christian) folk song
| Română | jubileu |
|---|
Talk about this word "jubilee." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/jubilee. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. jubilee. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/jubilee "jubilee." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/jubilee.Cite this
@misc{jubilee_2026,
title = {jubilee},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/jubilee},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
