celebrant

noun

cel·​e·​brant ˈse-lə-brənt How to pronounce celebrant (audio)
: one who celebrates
specifically : the priest officiating at the Eucharist

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 Nowruz, or Persian new year, overlapped with the spring equinox on March 19, with celebrants cleaning house, putting seasonal flowers on display and gathering around food with family and friends. Holi, also known as the festival of colors, love and spring, follows on Monday. Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024 Some celebrants take their own twist on traditional dishes, bringing classic Imbolc ingredients together in global cuisines. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 26 Jan. 2024 After all, hundreds of residents live in the Miro Towers above the restaurant, and downtown hasn’t traditionally offered many weekend brunch options for the pre-theater crowd, museum-goers, festival attendees and special-occasion celebrants. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Their loyalty program includes a free $16 pizza for the birthday celebrant. Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024 In early Greece, celebrants of the new year paraded a baby in a basket to celebrate Dionysus, their god of wine. Dorothy Dworkin, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2024 Similarly, Hanukkah celebrants can snap up these dripless candles for only $10. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 30 Nov. 2023 For centuries, celebrants observed Yule, a festival commemorating the winter solstice. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2023 The bowls have a purpose: to scoop up servings of mescal punch from a 55-gallon drum at a downtown park, where celebrants dance as a brass band blares away. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'celebrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of celebrant was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near celebrant

Cite this Entry

“Celebrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/celebrant. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

celebrant

noun
cel·​e·​brant ˈsel-ə-brənt How to pronounce celebrant (audio)
: a person who celebrates
especially : the priest who is celebrating Mass

More from Merriam-Webster on celebrant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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