celebrate

verb

cel·e·brate | \ ˈse-lə-ˌbrāt

celebrated; celebrating

Essential Meaning of celebrate

1 : to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, holiday, etc. We are celebrating my birthday by going out to dinner. The family gathered to celebrate Christmas. See More ExamplesWe are celebrating our anniversary next week. They are celebrating the birth of their third child. We won! Let's celebrate!Hide

2 formal : to praise (someone or something) : to say that (someone or something) is great or important The book celebrates the movies of the past. Her lecture celebrated the genius of the artist. See More ExamplesWe should celebrate diversity. He is celebrated for his contributions to modern science.Hide

3 formal : to perform (a religious ceremony) A priest celebrates Mass at the church daily.

Full Definition of celebrate

transitive verb

1 : to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites A priest celebrates Mass.

2a : to honor (an occasion, such as a holiday) especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business The nation celebrates Memorial Day.

b : to mark (something, such as an anniversary) by festivities or other deviation from routine celebrated their 25th anniversary

3 : to hold up or play up for public notice her poetry celebrates the glory of nature

intransitive verb

1 : to observe a holiday, perform a religious ceremony, or take part in a festival The holiday revelers celebrated all day long.

2 : to observe a notable occasion with festivities decided the only way to celebrate was to have a party

Other Words from celebrate Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About celebrate

Other Words from celebrate

celebration \ ˌse-lə-ˈbrā-shən

\ noun

celebrative \ ˈse-lə-ˌbrā-tiv

\ adjective

celebrator \ ˈse-lə-ˌbrā-tər

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for celebrate

keep, observe, celebrate, commemorate mean to notice or honor a day, occasion, or deed. keep stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating. kept the Sabbath by refraining from work observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance. not all holidays are observed nationally celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity. traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event. commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths

Examples of celebrate in a Sentence

We are celebrating my birthday by going out to dinner. The family gathered to celebrate Christmas. We are celebrating our anniversary next week. They are celebrating the birth of their third child. The book celebrates the movies of the past. Her lecture celebrated the genius of the artist. He is celebrated for his contributions to modern science. A priest celebrates Mass at the church daily.

Recent Examples on the Web Aside from his Grammy nominations, West is the subject of Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, a three-part documentary 21 years in the making that will celebrate its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this month. — Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, 11 Jan. 2022 The executive said the adaptations won’t be straight copies of the original format, but will celebrate the unique aspects of their respective industries. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 11 Jan. 2022 The splashy event helped celebrate Virgin Orbit’s merger with a special-purpose acquisition company. — Corrie Driebusch, WSJ, 10 Jan. 2022 The United Kingdom will celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne with a military parade, neighborhood parties and a competition to create a new dessert for the Platinum Jubilee, Buckingham Palace said Monday. — Danica Kirka, ajc, 10 Jan. 2022 None of the winners in any of the acting categories appeared to publicly celebrate or even acknowledge their victories, however. — NBC News, 10 Jan. 2022 Since, tourists have converged there to snap photos, deface it, buy conch shells, gaze out toward Cuba or celebrate the thrill of reaching a significant spot on the map. — Jeff Kleinman, orlandosentinel.com, 9 Jan. 2022 The initiative was launched in October 2020 in Minnesota's Twin Cities with the addition of 7,000 books that celebrate diverse identities -- including Black, Muslim, Native American and LGBTQ voices. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, 9 Jan. 2022 There might be a future director, videographer or computer whiz on campus who’d gladly agree to practice their skills while helping celebrate school glory. — Eric Sondheimer Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2022

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

History and Etymology for celebrate

Middle English celebraten, borrowed from Latin celebrātus, past participle of celebrāre "to throng, frequent, observe (an occasion, festivity), praise" (probably originally back-formation from earlier concelebrāre "to frequent, honor"), derivative of celebr-, celeber "much used, frequented, widely known, famed," probably going back to *kelesri-, of uncertain origin