Diwali

noun

Di·​wa·​li də-ˈwä-lē How to pronounce Diwali (audio)
-ˈvä-
variants or less commonly Divali or Dewali
plural Diwalis also Divalis or Dewalis
: a Hindu festival of lights held in late October or early November
Candlelight and lanterns are traditional beacons of autumn and winter for many cultures—from Diwali to Christmas to Hanukkah—as communities usher in longer nights.Leeta-Rose Ballester

Examples of Diwali in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During Diwali, the annual Festival of Lights, artisans receive annual bonuses, with top performers earning higher rewards for exceptional work. Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025 So the kids are genuinely learning about Christmas, about Eid, about Diwali, about Chinese New Year and so on. Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025 The Dynamic button takes you to a screen with lighting effects, including Alarm, Bedtime, Candlelight, Diwali, Golden White, Pulse, Steampunk, and Wake-Up. PC Magazine, 5 July 2025 There were songs to commemorate Hanukkah and dances to celebrate Diwali. Joshua B. Kulak, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for Diwali

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi dīvālī, divālī, going back to Middle Indo-Aryan dīvālī-, dīvāvalī-, going back to Sanskrit dīpāvaliḥ "row of lights, the Diwali festival," from dīpaḥ "lamp, light" (noun extracted from dīpayati "[s/he] sets alight, lights, illuminates," causative derivative from the base of dī́deti "[it] shines, is bright") + āvaliḥ "row, line" (of uncertain origin) — more at psychedelic entry 1

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Diwali was in 1698

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Cite this Entry

“Diwali.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Diwali. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.

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