Word family noun event non-event eventuality uneventfulness adjective eventful ≠ uneventful eventual adverb eventfully ≠ uneventfully eventually
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishevente‧vent /ɪˈvent/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 interesting/exciting [countable]HAPPEN something that happens, especially something important, interesting or unusual one of the most important events in the history of mankind2 social gathering [countable]HAPPEN a performance, sports competition, party etc at which people gather together to watch or take part in something The conference was an important social event (=an event at which people can meet each other). one of the major sporting events of the yearcharity/fundraising etc event The school raises money by organizing fundraising events.3 race/competition [countable]DS one of the races or competitions that are part of a large sports competition The next event will be the 100 metres. The 800 metres is not his best event. → field event, three-day event4 → in any/either event5 → in the event6 → in the event of something7 → in the normal course of eventsCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: something that happens, especially something important, interesting or unusualadjectivesa big/major event (=important)Getting married is a major event in anyone’s life.an important/significant eventIt’s natural to be nervous before such an important event.a momentous event (=very important)the momentous events of 9/11a historic event (=very important in a country’s history)The signing of the peace treaty was a historic event.a dramatic event (=very exciting)The dramatic events will be brought to you live on BBC.a tragic event (=very sad)Let’s not talk about the tragic events of the past.a traumatic event (=very upsetting)He was forced to relive the traumatic events of his kidnap.a common/an everyday eventThe death of a child was a common event in those days.a rare/unusual eventA sighting of a white deer is a rare event.recent eventsRecent events in the country have caused great concern. the latest eventsWe will be bringing you news of all the latest events.current eventsThere are some similarities between what happened in the 1920s and current events in the US. verbsan event happens/takes place (also an event occurs formal)The event took place last year.events unfold (=happen, usually in an exciting or unexpected way)I watched the dramatic events unfold from my window.events lead (up) to something (=cause something)His assassination was one of the events that led to the First World War.the events surrounding something (=the events that are closely related to a situation)The events surrounding her death remain a mystery.celebrate/commemorate/mark an event (=do something to show that you remember it)Fans observed a minute’s silence to commemorate the tragic event.witness an event (=see it happen)Luckily, a film crew were on the spot to witness the event.record an event (=write down or photograph what happened)Two photographers recorded the events.phrasesa series/sequence of events (=related events that happen one after the other)The incident was the first in a series of events that finally led to his arrest.a chain of events (=a series of events where each one causes the next)He set in motion a chain of events that he couldn’t control.the course of events (=the way in which a series of events happens)Nothing you could have done would have changed the course of events. THESAURUSevent something that happens, especially something important, interesting, or unusualHe spoke of the tragic event in which more than 100 people died.recent political eventsoccurrence /əˈkʌrəns $ əˈkʌrəns/ formal something that happens – used especially when saying how often something happensDivorce is a common occurrence these days.Storms like this one are fortunately a rare occurrence.Accidents are almost a daily occurrence on this road.incident something that happens, especially something that is unusual or unpleasant, or something that is one of several eventsHe died after a violent incident outside a nightclub.This latest incident could put an end to his career.occasion an important social event or celebrationShe only wore the dress for special occasions.It was his 100th birthday, and friends and family gathered to mark the occasion.affair [usually singular] something that happens, especially something shocking in political or public life which involves several people and eventsThe affair has caused people to lose confidence in their government.phenomenon /fɪˈnɒmənən $ fɪˈnɑːmənɑːn, -nən/ something that happens or exists in society, science, or nature, especially something that is studied because it is difficult to understandnatural phenomena such as earthquakesHomelessness is not a new phenomenon. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a performance, sports competition, party etc at which people gather together to watch or take part in somethingADJECTIVES/NOUN + event a social event (=an event at which a group of people meet and spend time together for pleasure)I don’t go to many social events since my husband’s death.a sporting eventMany of the weekend’s major sporting events were cancelled due to bad weather.a cultural/musical eventa monthly guide to the cultural events in Londona charity/fund-raising eventForthcoming fund-raising events include a sponsored five-mile walk.verbshold/stage an event (=organize a public event)The charity plans to stage several fund-raising events this year.go to an event (also attend an event formal)Unfortunately, the prime minister will not be able to attend the event.support an event (=pay to attend a charity event in order to encourage it )I’d like to thank everyone who came tonight for supporting the event.boycott an event (=refuse to go to an event as a protest)The games went ahead despite threats to boycott the event.sponsor an event (=give money to an event, especially in exchange for the right to advertise)The event is sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland. Examples from the Corpus
event• Meeting Professor Kearney was an event which changed my life.• The town's beer festival is an annual event.• Tomorrow's match against Portugal is expected to be the big event of the season.• The anniversary of the accession of George I, 1 August, was marked by an exciting event on the river.• The observational abilities of the ancients were to have practical application beyond those of time-reckoning and attempt to predict future events.• The Ryder Cup is the big golfing event this month.• Our special December issue lists the most important events of the past year.• Every Lee movie contains his signature style; all are major movie events.• Nothing we could have done would have changed the course of events.• Police are attempting to reconstruct the sequence of events on the night of the killing.• To my amazement, it was just about as easy and even more fun than writing about real events.• The evening meal is a time when all the family can get together and discuss the day's events.• We have a full programme of social events that take place throughout the year.• Joe's party was a splendid event - about 200 people were there.• John rarely misses a sporting event in his town.• Wimbledon is one of Britain's great sporting events.• It was really delightful to be treated with such consideration after the events of the last week or so.• The book discusses the events leading up to the outbreak of World War Two.• In the loop of Henle, the events are qualitatively similar to, but quantitatively different from, events during dilution.• The events that it scans during its journey are conceived as the experiences of a positive vector.social event• Nowadays, Super Sunday has become more of a social event.• The Club's day-to-day affairs and social events carried on side by side.• Soon this star quality spills over into schoolwork, sports, and social events.• Funerals are not just some grim social event for retired people.• The May festival has become a major social event in the racing calendar and includes a classic trial for the Derby.• It will compare different methods of recruitment, identify opportunities for involvement and stress the importance of a programme of social events.• At first they just focused on the fun part, the social events.• The presidential victory party was the social event of the year.Origin event (1500-1600) Latin eventus, from the past participle of evenire “to happen” 