What does "ceilidh" mean?
An informal social gathering, especially one where traditional Irish or Scottish folk music is played, with dancing and storytelling.
Ceilidh
/ˈkeɪli/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An informal social gathering, especially one where traditional Irish or Scottish folk music is played, with dancing and storytelling.
- Grammar: ceilidh is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dance, folk music, gathering, social event.
- Useful contrasts: classical music, concert, formal ball.
- Usage evidence: Aren’t they going to the ceilidh in the town?
How to use "ceilidh"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ceilidh" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ceilidh" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ceilidh" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ceilidh" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ceilidh" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ceilidh", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An informal social gathering, especially one where traditional Irish or Scottish folk music is played, with dancing and storytelling. Ireland, Scotland, also, attributive
"The fire in the centre of the room was almost a necessity of the good old Ceilidh days. When the people congregated in the evening, the circle could be extended to the full capacity of the room, and occasionally it became necessary to have a circle within a circle. […] The circle became extended by merely pushing back the seats, and this arrangement became absolutely necessary in the houses which were most celebrated as the great Ceilidh centres of the district. The Ceilidh rendezvous is the house in which all the Folk-lore of the country, all the old sgculachdan or stories, the ancient poetry known to the bards or Seanachaidhean, and old riddles and proverbs are recited from night to night by old and young."
- 2 an informal social gathering at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing and folk dancing and story telling wordnet
- 3 Ellipsis of ceilidh dance. Ireland, Scotland, abbreviation, also, alt-of, attributive, ellipsis
"Looking for the Possible Dance [by Alison Louise Kennedy] sets up the 'dance', the ceilidh, as a site of personal and possibly national salvation, but one plagued by insecurities."
Verb
- 1 To attend a ceilidh (noun noun sense 1). Ireland, Scotland, also, attributive, intransitive
"Captain Mac was certainly making the most of his enforced stay at safe anchorage. He had told Fergus he would ceilidh the night away with the help of Tam McKinnon's home-brewed malt whisky. From the sound of it one half of the ceilidh was on board ship, the other half no doubt in Tam McKinnon's cottage."
- 2 To dance a ceilidh dance. Ireland, Scotland, also, attributive, intransitive
"Nightly the scratch of fiddles and the thud of a reel-set staccatoed the timbers [of the ship sailing from Londonderry to Boston], as the peasant Irish ceilidhed their way to 'Amerikay'."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Aren’t they going to the ceilidh in the town?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ceilidh"?
Common synonyms include: dance, folk music, gathering, social event, traditional tunes.
How do you use "ceilidh" in a sentence?
Aren’t they going to the ceilidh in the town?
How do you pronounce "ceilidh"?
Pronounced /ˈkeɪli/.
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Scottish Gaelic cèilidh (“a pilgrimage; a social call, visit; a sojourn; a social gathering with dancing, etc., ceilidh”) and Irish célidhe (archaic), céilí (“a social call, visit; a social gathering with dancing, etc., ceilidh”), both from Old Irish célide (“social call, visit”), from céile (“companion, fellow; neighbour”) (ultimately from Proto-Celtic *kēiliyos (“companion; servant”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- (“to settle”)) + -ide. The plural form ceilidhean is borrowed from Scottish Gaelic cèilidhean. The verb is derived from the noun.