celebrate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
celebrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
celebrated,
past participle, past
-
celebrating
present participle
-
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
-
to make known publicly; proclaim.
The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.
-
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.
-
to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize.
to celebrate a marriage.
verb (used without object)
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celebrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
celebrated,
past participle, past
-
celebrating
present participle
-
to observe a day or commemorate an event with ceremonies or festivities.
-
to perform a religious ceremony, especially Mass or the Lord's Supper.
-
to have or participate in a party, drinking spree, or uninhibited good time.
You look like you were up celebrating all night.
verb
-
to rejoice in or have special festivities to mark (a happy day, event, etc)
-
(tr) to observe (a birthday, anniversary, etc)
she celebrates her ninetieth birthday next month
-
(tr) to perform (a solemn or religious ceremony), esp to officiate at (Mass)
-
(tr) to praise publicly; proclaim
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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celebraternoun
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celebrationnoun
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celebratornoun
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precelebrateverb
-
recelebrateverb
-
celebrativeadjective
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celebratoryadjective
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uncelebratingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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celebratesimple
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celebratessimple
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have celebratedperfect
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has celebratedperfect
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am celebratingprogressive
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are celebratingprogressive
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is celebratingprogressive
-
have been celebratingperfect progressive
-
has been celebratingperfect progressive
Past
-
celebratedsimple
-
had celebratedperfect
-
was celebratingprogressive
-
were celebratingprogressive
-
had been celebratingperfect progressive
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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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.
See Examples For:
Strumpshaw is hosting various events to celebrate the milestone, including guided walks around the site on Sunday.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Massive crowds turned out to fete and celebrate Lafayette throughout his 13-month tour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The pandemic-era posts from El-Sayed did not celebrate the tragedy or the terrorists who perpetrated the attacks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The Royal Mint has launched new collectable 50p coins to celebrate 60 years of Star Trek on television screens.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
“You don’t want to celebrate more, for all the hard work we’ve done? You don’t want to thank me for how hard I worked with you to make you ready?”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
As Dolly Parton celebrates her 80th birthday and a new “Dolly Parton Day,” a new biography by Martha Ackmann looks back at the star’s rise from poverty to philanthropy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Ukraine celebrates independence day on Monday, which also marks exactly four-and-a-half years since Russia invaded on February 24, 2022.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Concours d’Lemons celebrates something very different: the odd, forgotten and sometimes downright terrible cars that rarely make it onto a concours lawn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The Daily Mail also celebrates "golden girl" Amy Hunt's record win in its picture spot.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The team celebrates by eating a dozen or so pizzas.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
He learned about the importance of balance while working with Frank Guidara, the former CEO of Au Bon Pain and father of celebrated restaurateur Will Guidara, former co-owner of Manhattan’s Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
He celebrated by pointing to his chest and holding up both hands, in a nod to the number 10 shirt he wears - a clear statement to Tuchel.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
In the comments section, fellow social media stars and interviewers “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans and Ziwe celebrated Dimoldenberg.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The elders granted permission for the Malgana language to be included so that the culture could be recognized and celebrated.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
We celebrated my fifty-first birthday with a little party in the de Vrieses’ alcove home.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
They live in a locker room that sounds the same every week, whether they’re celebrating a Super Bowl win or mourning a Monday night loss in Atlanta.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
In other words, he called for ads celebrating himself.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
"My dad left a lasting impact so poignant that it will ripple out for generations to come," Bindi wrote, saying his life and legacy were "worth celebrating".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
This summer I read in the Indianola, Iowa, Independent Advocate that the town’s A&W store was celebrating its 70th anniversary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
On November 7, 1941, less than a month after they’d been recruited and on the official anniversary celebrating the Russian Revolution, Marina Raskova’s 122nd Air Group took the Red Army oath.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
