celibacy

noun

cel·​i·​ba·​cy ˈse-lə-bə-sē 

1

: the state of not being married

2

a

: abstention from sexual intercourse

b

: abstention by vow from marriage

priestly celibacy

Synonyms

• abstinence
• chasteness
• chastity
• continence

Examples of celibacy in a Sentence

a widower who has maintained absolute celibacy since the death of his wife

Recent Examples on the Web

Inspired by a Seinfeld episode of all things, this British reality series features 10 horny singles maintaining celibacy for four weeks in hopes of winning a cash prize. —Rendy Jones, EW.com, 13 July 2024

And Bumble’s efforts to bring more users to the hive (i.e not just millennial women) hasn’t gone so well — a lot of people were pretty offended by the company’s splashy ads mocking celibacy earlier this year. —Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 11 July 2024

Survivors of traumatic events are using celibacy to recover. —Tanyel Mustafa, refinery29.com, 28 May 2024

The Past The unexpected evolutionary benefits of celibacy While becoming a monk is an evolutionary dead end for the individual, celibacy reaps benefits for the group as a whole. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

celibate "state of not being married" (borrowed from Latin caelibātus, from caelebs "not having a spouse, unmarried" + -ātus -ate entry 2) + -acy — more at celibate entry 1

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

celibacy

noun

cel·​i·​ba·​cy ˈsel-ə-bə-sē 

: the state of not being married

especially : the state of one who has taken a vow not to marry