celebrate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities.
to celebrate Christmas; to celebrate the success of a new play.
- Synonyms:
- solemnize, commemorate
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to make known publicly; proclaim.
The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.
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to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels.
a novel celebrating the joys of marriage; the countryside celebrated in the novels of Hardy.
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to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize.
to celebrate a marriage.
verb (used without object)
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to observe a day or commemorate an event with ceremonies or festivities.
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to perform a religious ceremony, especially Mass or the Lord's Supper.
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to have or participate in a party, drinking spree, or uninhibited good time.
You look like you were up celebrating all night.
verb
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to rejoice in or have special festivities to mark (a happy day, event, etc)
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(tr) to observe (a birthday, anniversary, etc)
she celebrates her ninetieth birthday next month
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(tr) to perform (a solemn or religious ceremony), esp to officiate at (Mass)
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(tr) to praise publicly; proclaim
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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uncelebratingadjective
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celebrationnoun
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recelebrateverb
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celebraternoun
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celebratoryadjective
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precelebrateverb
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celebrativeadjective
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celebratornoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has celebratedperfect 3rd person singular
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have celebratedperfect
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are celebratingprogressive
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am celebratingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been celebratingperfect progressive
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is celebratingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been celebratingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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celebratessingular 3rd person
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celebratingparticiple
Past
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had celebratedperfect
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had been celebratingperfect progressive
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was celebratingprogressive singular
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were celebratingprogressive plural
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celebratedsimple
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celebratedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of celebrate
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin celebrātus, past participle of celebrāre “to solemnize, celebrate, honor,” equivalent to celebr- (stem of celeber ) “often repeated, famous” + -ātus past participle suffix; see -ate 1
Explanation
To celebrate means to mark a special day, event, or holiday. You might celebrate a birthday, a religious holiday, or even the anniversary of a famous battle. Use celebrate for festive, happy occasions. If the special day, event, or holiday is more solemn or introspective, a verb like observe is often used. After we observe Memorial Day, we look forward to celebrating the Fourth of July. The verb can also mean to honor or praise — "The book celebrated the life of the actress who had given so much to worthy causes."
Vocabulary lists containing celebrate
Academy Awards, List 2
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myPerspectives 7.5
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"Familiar Places"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Truckers who held on through almost four years of slumping freight rates finally have something to celebrate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
All three films celebrate highly dominant male protagonists who project raw power, aggression and emotional intensity.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
John Lithgow, Lesley Manville and Laurie Metcalf were among the big winners at Sunday's Tony Awards, which celebrate the best US theatre of the past year.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The area around Madison Square Garden has become a hot spot for Knicks fans to gather and celebrate during their playoff run to the NBA Finals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
“It’s cinnamon apple. We have so much to celebrate, right?”
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
