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

And then there are the celebrities. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

This wasn’t a celebrity checking a box. —Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026

Mitchell Fink, whose career as a celebrity gossip columnist and entertainment journalist included stints ranging from People magazine to the New York Daily News to the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, died Tuesday at 82 in West Palm Beach, Florida. —Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026

As part of the agreement, AT&T will be an official partner of Fanatics Fest, the annual celebrity-heavy trade show that Fanatics debuted in 2024. —Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 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