celebrity

noun

ce·​leb·​ri·​ty sə-ˈle-brə-tē 

plural celebrities

1

: the state of being celebrated : fame

The actress lived a life of celebrity.

2

: a famous or celebrated person

Many celebrities attended the awards ceremony.

Synonyms of celebrity

• star
• personality
• celeb

Examples of celebrity in a Sentence

The actress lived a life of celebrity.

There were many celebrities at the party.

Recent Examples on the Web

One famous local on the celebrity wall is aviation pioneer Wally Funk, the oldest woman to travel to space. — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026

Goodtime, originally with celebrity backing from musician Pharrell Williams and entertainment mogul David Grutman, was auctioned off by lenders in a foreclosure action earlier this year. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026

The series follows a currently unnamed in-love celebrity couple who expand their relationship to welcome a third into their lives. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 July 2026

And Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand somewhere between celebrities and royals, so that means their relationship gets a lot of attention. — Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English celebrite "fame, renown," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French celebrité, borrowed from Latin celebritāt-, celebritās "busy or crowded conditions, reputation, fame," from celebr-, celeber "much used, frequented, widely known, famed" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at celebrate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing celebrity

• cult of celebrity
• local celebrity

Kids Definition

celebrity

noun

ce·​leb·​ri·​ty sə-ˈleb-rət-ē 

plural celebrities

1

: the state of being celebrated : fame

his short-lived celebrity

2

: a famous or celebrated person