celebrate

verb

cel·e·brate | \ ˈse-lə-ˌbrāt

celebrated; celebrating

Definition of celebrate

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

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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

During Waithe's time in London, before a house party celebrating her upcycled creations, Refinery29 sat down with the producer of The Chi to chat sustainability. — Channing Hargrove, refinery29.com, "Lena Waithe On Vintage Tees, Queer Designers & Sharing Clothes With Her Fiancée," 15 June 2019 Instead of celebrating with his team, Jordan sobbed uncontrollably on the floor. — Ben Morse, CNN, "Father's Day: Unforgettable dad moments in sport," 15 June 2019 So, the issue wasn’t the act of celebrating an individual goal. — Peter Schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Schmuck: U.S. women's World Cup team sparks debate about sportsmanship that's a few decades too late," 13 June 2019 Kforce also has a recognition team dedicated to celebrating employee milestones and success. — Leigh Farr, azcentral, "Ranking of the 2019 Top Companies to Work for in Arizona: Large Company Category," 13 June 2019 Megan Rapinoe, one of the goal scorers who was called out for celebrating after scoring the ninth goal for the U.S., was quick to quip back in a post-game interview. — Thom Craver, CBS News, "U.S. breaks records in opening Women's World Cup game, dominates Thailand 13-0," 12 June 2019 About a dozen dads in Texas may not be celebrating Father's Day. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "These 16 Texas dads (and moms) owe $1.2M in child support, records show," 11 June 2019 The current team then burst out in a Club Dub-style party on stage, and for the first time the fans joined in on the Bears’ 2018 tradition of celebrating each win with a locker room dance party, a disco ball providing colorful lighting. — Kalyn Kahler, SI.com, "The Bears at 100: Cheers and a Few Tears," 11 June 2019 Queen Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, but the royal family has a tradition of celebrating a monarch’s birthday with this special parade at the start of summer. — Rachel E. Greenspan, Time, "Meghan Markle's First Major Post-Baby Outing at Trooping the Colour 2019 Looked Like a Lot of Fun," 8 June 2019

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

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