celebrity
Americannoun
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Academy Awards, List 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Lesson 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
That most recent listing, which is held by celebrity real estate agent Josh Flagg, has now been updated to reflect that the property is under “contingent” offer.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
McCarthy rode the furor created by his speech to the heights of political celebrity, and ultimately to his own downfall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Others feature high-end hotels, organic meals and access to celebrity teachers, with price tags in the thousands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
This dynamic highlights the core problem with the era of the celebrity reporter, one of the most paradoxical developments in modern political media.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Believers hissed, certain that the former celebrity medium was being paid to betray the spirits.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Keith Jeffries, who was the federal security director for TSA at LAX when the private terminal opened, called it a “tremendous” security asset because celebrities can avoid chaotic scrums of fans and paparazzi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The look has become so ubiquitous among celebrities that last year the Cannes Film Festival adopted a no nudity policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
She emerged from the weekend with half the media world and a chorus of Hollywood celebrities wildly applauding her bravery.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Over the course of the protest, most of India's major opposition political parties, activists and many celebrities turned up to show solidarity.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
As the boys—now officially the U.S. eight-oared Olympic rowing team— settled in at Travers Island they were, largely unbeknownst to them, beginning to become national celebrities.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
