- Jewish History a year-long celebration held every fifty years in which all bondmen were freed, mortgaged lands were restored to the original owners, and land was left fallow: Lev. 25:8-17
- an anniversary, esp. a 50th or 25th anniversary
- a celebration of this
- a time or occasion of rejoicing
- jubilation; rejoicing
- R.C.Ch. a year proclaimed as a solemn time for gaining a plenary indulgence and for receiving absolution, on certain conditions: an ordinary jubilee occurs every twenty-five years
Origin of jubilee
Middle English from Old French jubile from Ecclesiastical Late Latin jubilaeus from Ecclesiastical Greek i?b?laios from Classical Hebrew (language) y?b?l, a ram, ram's horn used as a trumpet to announce the sabbatical year: influenced, influence by Classical Latin jubilum: see jubilate
