(adj.adv.) : festīvus, a, um, adj.1. festus; lit., feast-like, belonging to a feast; hence
* Lively, gay, festive, joyous, gladsome, merry (syn.: lepidus, urbanus, salsus, facetus).
* Lit. (ante- and post-class.): festivum festinant diem, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 9, 401 (Trag. v. 434 ed. Vahl.): ludi,Plaut. Cas. 4, 1, 3; cf. alea,Gell. 18, 13, 1: locus,Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 5; id. Poen. 5, 1, 9: facinus lepidum et festivum,id. ib. 1, 2, 95: hospitium in lepido loco,id. ib. 3, 3, 82; cf.: festivissimum convivium,Just. 38, 8 fin.—*
* Subst.: festīvum, i, n., festive jollity, festivity: in vindemiarum festivo,Lampr. Heliog. 11.
* Transf.
* In gen., agreeable, pleasing, handsome, pretty: luculenta atque festiva femina,Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 12; cf. id. Ep. 5, 1, 17: nonne igitur sunt ista festiva?Cic. Par. 5, 2, 38: aedes festivissimae,Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 93: area parvula sed festiva,Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 4: copia librorum,Cic. Att. 2, 6, 1: opera,Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 108.
* In partic.
* Of behavior, character, etc., jovial, jocose, agreeable, dear: quod te isti facilem et festivum putant,Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 29: puer,Cic. Att. 1, 12 fin.; cf.: quibus (pueris) nihil potest esse festivius,id. Fam. 6, 4, 3: filius,id. Fl. 36, 91: homo,id. Phil. 5, 5, 13; id. de Or. 2, 68, 277.
* As a term of endearment: o mi pater festivissime!Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 26; so, festivum caput!id. ib. 2, 3, 8.
* Of speech, humorous, pleasant, witty: dulcis et facetus festivique sermonis,Cic. Off. 1, 30, 108: poëma facit ita festivum, ita concinnum, ita elegans, nihil ut fieri possit argutius,id. Pis. 29, 70: oratio,id. de Or. 3, 25, 100: acroama,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 22, § 49; Quint. 6, 3, 39.— Hence, adv., in two forms, festīve (class.) and festīvĭter (ante- and post-class.). *
* Joyously, gayly, cheerfully: loco in festivo sumus festive accepti,Plaut. Ps. 5, 1, 9.
* Transf. *
* Agreeably, pleasantly, delightfully: o domus parata pulchrae familiae festiviter! Naev. ap. Non. 510, 16.
* Humorously, facetiously, wittily.
* Form festive: agere fabellam,Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 16, 3: crimen contexere,id. Deiot. 6, 19: dissolvere argumentum,id. Div. 2, 15, 35: aliquid odorari,id. Att. 4, 14, 2: tradere elementa loquendi,id. Ac. 2, 28, 92. As a particle of assent: quare bene et praeclare quamvis nobis saepe dicatur: belle et festive nimium saepe nolo,Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 101.
* Form festiviter: Epictetus severe simul ac festiviter sejunxit a vero Stoico, qui esset ἀκώλυτος, Gell. 1, 2, 7: respondere,id. 1, 22, 6.—Sup.: decorare festum festivissime, Poët. ap. Charis. 2, p. 180 P. (Rib. Fragm. Trag. Inc. 223).

s. TLL