celebrant

noun

cel·​e·​brant ˈse-lə-brənt 

: one who celebrates

specifically : the priest officiating at the Eucharist

Synonyms

• celebrator
• reveller

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 on the Web

Local Catholics attended Mass at the Cathedral of the Incarnation midday April 21 that Rev. John Hammond presided over, and Spalding will be the celebrant at an official diocesan Mass. —Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Reports of a multiday, multimillion-dollar affair — is expected to draw hundreds of celebrants to a fragile lagoon city already grappling with overtourism — sparked concerns in Italy. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 23 June 2025

They weren’t needed for this diverse group of mostly Catholic celebrants. —Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025

Some believe that early celebrants simply worked with easily accessible and in-season ingredients that happened to be red: watermelon, strawberries, beans and fried or smoked meats. —Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

celebrant

noun

cel·​e·​brant ˈsel-ə-brənt 

: a person who celebrates

especially : the priest who is celebrating Mass