celebrated

American  

[sel-uh-brey-tid] / ˈsɛl əˌbreɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. renowned; well-known.

   the celebrated authors of best-selling books.

   Synonyms:

   lionized, honored, notable, noted, illustrious

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celebrated British  

/ ˈsɛlɪˌbreɪtɪd /

adjective

1. (usually prenominal) famous

   a celebrated pianist

   a celebrated trial

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Related Words

See famous.

Other Word Forms

• celebratedness noun
• uncelebrated adjective
• well-celebrated adjective

Etymology

Origin of celebrated

First recorded in 1540–50; celebrate + -ed ²

Explanation

If something is celebrated, it's famous. Your town's celebrated restaurant — the one everybody knows and talks about — might be a modest barbecue joint. A celebrated writer is an important, well-known one, like Ernest Hemingway or Maya Angelou. In your family, a celebrated figure might be the cousin who visits every summer and tells the best stories. As long as someone is talked about and revered by a group of people, they're celebrated. This adjective comes from the verb celebrate and its Latin root celebrare, "to sing praises of."

Example Sentences

Their chemistry presents a rare instance of celebrated screen actors releasing each other to new heights on stage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Wall Street initially celebrated plans to invest big in the evolving tech, but that sentiment has shifted as investors want to see more of a return on this spending that has impacted free cash flows.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Regardless of what goes into the McRib or how it’s priced, the sandwich has attained a status that arguably makes it the most celebrated limited-time item in fast-food history.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

Even the once derided, now celebrated Brutalist Barbican included a plethora of glass.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

And even though Audrey didn’t get any recognition for her project, she celebrated my win as if it were hers, too.

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence