celebrate

play

verb cel·e·brate \ˈse-lə-ˌbrāt\

Definition of celebrate

celebrated

;

celebrating

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

celebration

play \ˌse-lə-ˈbrā-shən\ noun

celebrative

play \ˈse-lə-ˌbrā-tiv\ adjective

celebrator

play \-tər\ noun

celebratory

play \-brə-ˌtȯr-ē, ˌse-lə-ˈbrā-tə-rē\ adjective

See celebrate defined for English-language learners

See celebrate defined for kids

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 of celebrate from the Web

Forty years have passed since Lucas’s first season as Braves’ GM, and in February the team celebrated the anniversary in a ceremony at the brand-new SunTrust Park.

— alex putterman, The Atlantic, "The Forgotten Legacy of Bill Lucas", 4 June 2017
The New Trier boys lacrosse team celebrates after scoring its first goal less than 30 seconds into its state semifinal game on Wednesday in Northfield.

— mark perlman, chicagotribune.com, "Deep roster a big reason for New Trier boys lacrosse team's success", 2 June 2017
Central Alabama Pride knows exactly how to celebrate Pride Week, with a series of events that stretches June 2-11 and includes Latin dancing, a drag brunch, a baseball game, a skating party and a performance by the Steel City Men’s Chorus.

— AL.com, "Pride Week 2017: Your guide to 14 events in Birmingham", 2 June 2017
President Kennedy celebrated a festive 46th birthday yesterday, enjoying cake and good cheer with staff in the White House’s Navy Mess Hall.

— the associated press, The Seattle Times, "At JFK’s centennial, book chronicles presidency, day-by-day", 27 May 2017
President Kennedy celebrated a festive 46th birthday yesterday, enjoying cake and good cheer with staff in the White House’s Navy Mess Hall.

— associated press, Washington Post, "At JFK’s centennial, book chronicles presidency, day-by-day", 27 May 2017
Americans celebrating Memorial Day this weekend -- the unofficial kick-off to summer and the grilling season -- can keep the party going with cheaper pork chops.

— megan durisin, Bloomberg.com, "Carnivores Celebrate Record Meat Output for Summer BBQs", 26 May 2017
Roode -- who celebrated birthday 40 on May 11 -- is one of the veterans in the locker room.

— jim varsallone, miamiherald, "A Glorious Champion: Bobby Roode, WWE NXT in Fort Pierce", 25 May 2017
Long celebrated for his peppy still life paintings and fantastical landscapes, the 96-year-old California native is currently in London for a survey show at the city’s White Cube gallery.

— hettie judah, New York Times, "At Tea With the Legendary Painter Wayne Thiebaud", 24 May 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of 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

First Known Use: 15th century

Synonym Discussion of 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

CELEBRATE Defined for English Language Learners

celebrate

play

verb

Definition of celebrate for English Language Learners

: to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, holiday, etc.
: to praise (someone or something) : to say that (someone or something) is great or important
: to perform (a religious ceremony)