celebrate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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to make known publicly; proclaim.
The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.
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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.
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to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize.
to celebrate a marriage.
verb (used without object)
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to observe a day or commemorate an event with ceremonies or festivities.
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to perform a religious ceremony, especially Mass or the Lord's Supper.
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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
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(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
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recelebrateverb
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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
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celebratedsimple
-
had celebratedperfect
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was celebratingprogressive
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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:
In August we’re going to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Green Apron Service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Evans was rushed off to Team Wales house to celebrate with family and friends.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“It is perfectly wonderful for her to celebrate however she wants, with whomever she wants.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
As they celebrate America’s 250th birthday, they are also contemplating the relevance of their orientation to the nation’s conception of itself.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
The next night, we host a big party at our house to celebrate.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
But Kaye said roughly four out of five people complete the diversion program, and he celebrates with them when they do.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Spain celebrates both a soccer win and a sense of wider success.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
PEN America describes itself as “the only national organization that both celebrates and defends creative expression.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
She values and celebrates the culture she came up in and the extensive progress that has been made since she first started “The Robin Byrd Show.”
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Part of what Karva Chauth celebrates is friendship. Between women. And the smell of that soup is driving me crazy. A bit of sensitivity, please!”
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
Dorothy Westerinen celebrated the Fourth of July the way she usually does, by barbecuing and hanging out around the pool with her wife and close friends.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
Some of football's most celebrated players stayed loyal to a single club for their entire career.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Last weekend, they celebrated civil rights activist John Lewis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
As the race heads to the Alpe d’Huez for two stages, before a final-day fight on the streets of Montmartre, hundreds of thousands of fans are flocking to the most celebrated roads in cycling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The still-very-much-alive writer, James Fenimore Cooper, was the most celebrated man at Griswold’s that evening.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
The Gallagher brothers were not the only siblings celebrating on Sunday.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
As he stuck his landing, his coach Jake Seager fell to his knees celebrating before the two embraced.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The commerce secretary has recently attended several Micron events celebrating manufacturing progress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
As fans wait on tenterhooks for more health updates, many are celebrating the fundraising win.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
This gathering at the group's headquarters in Oklahoma City wouldn't be just for remembering; it would also be about celebrating the fact that a woman pilot—Eileen Collins—would finally be flying a ship into space.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
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.
