celebrity
Americannoun
plural
celebrities-
a famous or well-known person.
-
fame; renown.
- Synonyms:
- stardom, eminence, note, distinction
noun
-
a famous person
a show-business celebrity
-
fame or notoriety
Other Word Forms
- noncelebrity noun
Etymology
Origin of celebrity
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin celebritās multitude, fame, festal celebration, equivalent to celebr- (stem of celeber ) often repeated, famous + -itās -ity
Explanation
A celebrity is a very famous person. If you single-handedly save an entire family from a burning building, you'll become a local celebrity. Celebrity comes directly from the Latin celebritatum, meaning famous, and is related to the verb celebrate which means to honor something with the proper ritual. We usually use celebrity now when we talk about entertainment stars, but someone doesn't have to be on the supermarket tabloids to be a celebrity. Celebrity can also be used to mean the state of fame. If you are seeking celebrity, develop a thick skin for nasty rumors.
Vocabulary lists containing celebrity
And the Oscar Goes to... Award-worthy Words
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Academy Awards, List 5
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Lesson 5
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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.
A Toronto native who started at Vogue and, ironically, worked for a while as director of celebrity relations at Prada, Fremar is now stylist to celebrities including Charlize Theron, Jennifer Connelly and Julianne Moore.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
It’s a celebrity hot spot, as it’s been home to Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lawrence, and Harry Styles, among others.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Then he’ll probably throw in an uncanny impression of a celebrity or politician just because he can.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
Jenner, 30 years old, is a member of the Kardashian-Jenner celebrity dynasty and the younger sister of Kim Kardashian.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
When Darwin returned to England after five years at sea, he was already a minor celebrity among natural historians.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
