celebrant

noun cel·e·brant \ ˈse-lə-brənt \

|Updated on: 1 Jul 2018

Examples: celebrant in a Sentence

Definition of celebrant

: one who celebrates; specifically : the priest officiating at the Eucharist

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Examples of celebrant in a Sentence

The bishop will be the main celebrant.
the celebrant of the service
The celebrants lit their candles.

Recent Examples of celebrant from the Web

The seat map will show a birthday cake in a celebrant’s seat.

— scott mccartney, WSJ, "What the Airline Knows About the Guy in Seat 14C," 20 June 2018
With LGBTQ Pride Month beginning June 1 — a month chosen to honor the history of activism epitomized by the Stonewall Riots of June 1969 — celebrants around the world will be getting ready for parades and other tributes.

— olivia b. waxman, Time, "How the Nazi Regime's Pink Triangle Symbol Was Repurposed for LGBTQ Pride," 31 May 2018
In one interview, native San Diegan Jill McCall settles into a comfortable couch to tell the story of going to a gay bar with some friends to celebrate a promotion, when she and some of her fellow celebrants were arrested and thrown in jail.

— karla peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New KPBS documentary is a toast to San Diego's gay bar history," 12 June 2018
Road Closures: The mayor’s office announced nearly two dozen road closures to keep the parade route open to celebrants, rather than vehicle traffic.

— faiz siddiqui, Washington Post, "The Caps’ Stanley Cup parade: Here’s everything you need to know.," 11 June 2018
Of course, the real celebrant of the occasion is Queen Elizabeth II; the event is held to honor the sovereign's birthday.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Joins the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace Balcony for the First Time," 9 June 2018
Food, beverages, apparel, decorations and candy are the top items celebrants plan to purchase.

— USA TODAY, "Save green on St. Patrick’s Day — no luck required," 7 Mar. 2018
The annual Festa Italiana Mass will be held at 11 a.m. July 22 with celebrant the Rev. John Baumgardener in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater.

— elaine rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Major summer festivals in Milwaukee in 2018; Summerfest and many more," 18 May 2018
Additional award recipients and celebrants like Gal Gadot, Lupita Nyong’o, Angelina Jolie, Armie Hammer, and Whoopi Goldberg were in attendance for the glitzy affair.

— zachary schwartz, Vogue, "Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Gal Gadot, and More Honored at the National Board of Review Gala," 10 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'celebrant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of celebrant

borrowed from Latin celebrant-, celebrans, present participle of celebrāre "to throng, frequent, observe (an occasion, festivity), praise" — more at celebrate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1624

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year