Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To offer congratulations to.
  • transitive verb Archaic To make happy.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Made happy.
  • To make happy.
  • To congratulate; compliment upon a happy event: as to felicitate a friend on his good fortune.
  • Synonyms Congratulate, Felicitate. See congratulation.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Archaic Made very happy.
  • transitive verb To make very happy; to delight.
  • transitive verb To express joy or pleasure to; to wish felicity to; to call or consider (one's self) happy; to congratulate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To congratulate.
  • adjective archaic Made very happy.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb express congratulations

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Late Latin fēlīcitāre, fēlīcitāt-, to make happy, from fēlīx, fēlīc-, fortunate; see dhē(i)- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin felicitatus, past participle of fēlīcitō ("to felicitate"), from fēlīx ("happy").

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Examples

  • Undeterred by a court verdict on March 30 sentencingfive members of a family to death for honour killing, the khaps are collecting money to "felicitate" and support the convicts 'relatives.

    Analysis 2010

  • Undeterred by a court verdict on March 30 sentencingfive members of a family to death for honour killing, the khaps are collecting money to "felicitate" and support the convicts 'relatives.

    Analysis 2010

  • Undeterred by a court verdict on March 30 sentencingfive members of a family to death for honour killing, the khaps are collecting money to "felicitate" and support the convicts 'relatives.

    Analysis 2010

  • Undeterred by a court verdict on March 30 sentencingfive members of a family to death for honour killing, the khaps are collecting money to "felicitate" and support the convicts 'relatives.

    Analysis 2010

  • Undeterred by a court verdict on March 30 sentencingfive members of a family to death for honour killing, the khaps are collecting money to "felicitate" and support the convicts 'relatives.

    Analysis 2010

  • 'felicitate' the forming of government after electoral victory.

    TamilNet Newswire 2009

  • He even had the hypocrisy, at times, to felicitate himself upon his escape, and to draw bleak fireside pictures of the dismal future which would have been had he and Frona incompatibly mated.

    CHAPTER 15 2010

  • We wish to felicitate you for your commitment to start a new chapter for the economic development of Jammu and Kashmir described as paradise on the earth.

    JK Minister -���Life Time Achievement Award��� for his contribution in Politico-economic fields 2010

  • We wish to felicitate you for your commitment to start a new chapter for the economic development of Jammu and Kashmir described as paradise on the earth.

    JK Minister -���Life Time Achievement Award��� for his contribution in Politico-economic fields 2010

  • Mr. Azad was addressing a mammoth public gathering at Dumhall, Anantnag today, organized to felicitate the Central Minister on his induction into the Union Cabinet.

    Basic amenities to all J&K villages by 2012 2009

Comments

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  • "A Nigerian congratulating someone on a success or victory will likely "felicitate" him rather than offer felicitations. Similarly, people are invited to "jubilate," or celebrate, a triumph."

    - International Herald Tribune, "In Nigeria's ornate brand of English, Victorian words dance with African grammar", March 2, 2008

    March 9, 2008

  • Remind me to be selective which Nigerians I let congratulate me...

    April 27, 2008

  • Congratulations! Your cat is lost in the art gallery.

    April 27, 2008

  • "I saw your e mail address in forwarded page so i decided to extend my felicitations to you. Presently i can not really specify what prompted my drive to write but i did have the mind that you could be a nice person. I have the interest to meet people from out side my continent and felicitate."

    - spam

    November 4, 2011

  • When Spanish speakers wish me a happy birthday, they'll often say "felicidades" instead of "feliz cumpleaños."

    November 4, 2011