Definition

Noun: 1. A religious meal shared as a sign of love and fellowship: A communal meal, especially one held in the early Christian church, intended to express and strengthen brotherly love and unity among believers. 2. A social gathering intended to create goodwill among the participants: Any friendly social event or meeting designed to promote harmony, affection, or mutual understanding within a group.

Examples

• Religious meal:
  • The early Christians celebrated the love feast as an expression of their communal bond.
  • Some modern churches occasionally hold a love feast to commemorate their shared faith and fellowship.
• Social gathering for goodwill:
  • The annual company picnic is more than just a party; it's a love feast meant to build team spirit.
  • The community organized a love feast to heal divisions after the difficult debate.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe any event or atmosphere characterized by excessive or sentimental displays of harmony and affection.
  • The political convention began as a love feast of party unity before the contentious debates started.

Variants and Related Words

• Agape (n.): In Christian theology, this Greek word for selfless, brotherly love is closely associated with the concept of the love feast.
• Fellowship meal (n.): A more general, modern term for a shared meal within a religious or community group.

Synonyms

• Communal meal
• Fellowship dinner
• Harmonious gathering
• Convivial gathering

Related Idioms

• While not a phrasal verb, the term "love feast" itself functions idiomatically. It extends beyond a literal meal to signify any occasion marked by a conspicuous and often ceremonial display of goodwill and absence of conflict.
  • The press conference was a love feast, with no challenging questions asked of the candidate.

Noun

1. a religious meal shared as a sign of love and fellowship
2. a social gathering intended to create goodwill among the participants