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
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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
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have been celebratingperfect progressive
-
has been celebratingperfect progressive
Past
-
celebratedsimple
-
had celebratedperfect
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was celebratingprogressive
-
were celebratingprogressive
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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:
Their connection to Scotland first started on a road trip in 2021, and they have regularly returned to explore the Highlands and celebrate their anniversaries in Edinburgh.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
He liked to open one on her birthday to celebrate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
"People are noticing those big swarms again. They can celebrate what I think is one of nature's great spectacles."
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
He moved out of a hotel into a new home earlier this week and has ventured into the city to sample a handful of restaurants - but only to celebrate wins.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
We were one week from Christmas if my calculations and tree notches were accurate, and I was wondering how to celebrate it, or if at all.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
This year, “Star Trek” celebrates its 60th anniversary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
A website mocked up by commercial real estate brokerage RDE Advisors celebrates its many advantages.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
"To me, the best thing to do is to tell an original story that celebrates everything that I love about the games."
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
"The design celebrates the stories behind each runner, and the incredible causes that inspire so many people to take on the event," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Twig had insisted on dressing as an evil witch/candy cane hybrid for Halloween, even though nobody really celebrates Halloween in France, and Twig’s mom said she was being embarrassing.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Walters said the two women have taken "very different paths", but have both "achieved so much and thoroughly deserve to be celebrated".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The National Trust for Jersey, which celebrated its 90th anniversary in August, manages about 1,800 vergées of land across the island.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Fiona celebrated her 13th birthday in November and was the second of the couple’s three daughters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
We learned that Darwin celebrated New Year’s Eve 1836 with a snowball fight in Cambridge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Then there was the sound of chanson music and accordions and lots of clinking wineglasses as they celebrated.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
The drive from the airport to the city center is studded with signs celebrating the Oklahoma City Thunder, which won its first NBA championship two seasons ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The sketch ended with Republican strategists asking Trump to prerecord a message celebrating a GOP victory.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
The Feeling frontman Dan Gillespie Sells said celebrating the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album was "extraordinary"
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
In times like these, every bridge needs celebrating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
All around him people were feasting and celebrating because they thought they were finally safe, but he knew better.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
