celebrity

noun

ce·​leb·​ri·​ty sə-ˈle-brə-tē 

plural celebrities

1

: the state of being celebrated : fame

The actress lived a life of celebrity.

2

: a famous or celebrated person

Many celebrities attended the awards ceremony.

Synonyms of celebrity

• star
• personality
• celeb

Examples of celebrity in a Sentence

The actress lived a life of celebrity.

There were many celebrities at the party.

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, Jung Saem Mool Beauty, named after its famous founder – a Korean celebrity makeup artist – recently launched cushion foundations designed for darker skin tones. —Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026

The European luxury giant has used celebrities to generate buzz about the brand, while opening a cafe and using iconic store architecture to generate buzz on social media. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026

Polished portraits of celebrity guests, including Lana Del Rey, Anne Hathaway, and Ariana DeBose amplified performance. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026

Cameo also alleges that OpenAI adopted its marketing strategy by tapping celebrities such as Jake Paul, Mark Cuban, Ricky Berwick and Snoop Dogg to promote its video generator Sora and its new feature. —Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English celebrite "fame, renown," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French celebrité, borrowed from Latin celebritāt-, celebritās "busy or crowded conditions, reputation, fame," from celebr-, celeber "much used, frequented, widely known, famed" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at celebrate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing celebrity

• cult of celebrity
• local celebrity

Kids Definition

celebrity

noun

ce·​leb·​ri·​ty sə-ˈleb-rət-ē 

plural celebrities

1

: the state of being celebrated : fame

his short-lived celebrity

2

: a famous or celebrated person