Scotland · noun
ceilidh
A social gathering with traditional music, dancing, stories, or entertainment.
Uses your device’s built-in voice. Pronunciation is approximate because available voices and Scottish accents vary.
What ceilidh means
A ceilidh is a social gathering associated with music, dancing, storytelling, and shared entertainment. Modern Scottish ceilidhs often centre on group dances with a live band.
How it is used
The word can refer to a formal event, wedding dance, community gathering, or informal evening of music and stories.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Pronunciation
- Usually /ˈkeɪli/
- Register
- Standard cultural term in Scotland and Gaelic-speaking communities.
- Variants
- ceili
Examples
Each example is followed by its intended plain-English meaning.
There is a ceilidh in the village hall tonight.
There is a traditional social dance in the village hall tonight.
They finished the wedding with a ceilidh.
They finished the wedding with traditional social dancing.
What to watch for
Not every ceilidh has the same format; some focus on dancing while others include songs, stories, or performances.
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