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
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have been celebratingperfect progressive
-
has been celebratingperfect progressive
Past
-
celebratedsimple
-
had celebratedperfect
-
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:
To celebrate his recovery, Dave is planning a 110-mile bicycle ride from Miami to Key West in March 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
The world's first US-born pontiff, who holds Peruvian citizenship, will celebrate mass on a desert plain near the Pacific Ocean, before visiting Cusco, the former Inca capital, and Pucallpa, a city in the Amazon rainforest.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
In hot and humid conditions, he will soon celebrate his 78th birthday and will have carried out about 36 engagements by the end of this nine-day tour of the Caribbean.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Plenty of people are brewing themed cocktails to celebrate Halloween, but too often these drinks wind up as tricks instead of treats.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
“You did get to celebrate, didn’t you? You’ll come out with us at end of shift.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
This year’s Nobel prize celebrates work that started with a question that may sound esoteric: how do Chlamydomonas swim toward light?
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
A charity that raises funds to provide children with "essential items" has said families are facing "changing pressures" as celebrates its 25th anniversary.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The occasion for their concern is this bull market’s fourth birthday, which it celebrates this week.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Our ambition here is to make this a global event that celebrates the biggest stars on television around the world,” Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said in an interview.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
It was Holi, the feast that celebrates the god Krishna’s love for the fair Radha.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
The region’s most celebrated industry—Hollywood—is struggling and shedding jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
Sir Patrick would later be celebrated for his portrayal of Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
But as the Brewers celebrated their first World Series championship Wednesday, it was clear Yelich had become something more: the most important player in Brewers history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Young and old alike in Majd al-Krum, a town of 15,000 nestled between a highway and a mountain, celebrated into the late hours at the election result.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
The Durham Commercial Club celebrated its hometown in 1913 with this forty-by-fifty-foot sign, its confident message spelled out in colored electric lights.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
November would have seen Tyler in the middle of her Jubilee Tour across Europe, celebrating 50 years since her song Lost in France broke her into the UK Singles Chart in 1976.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
The league spent this season, its 30th, celebrating record highs in TV audiences and attendance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
She took her third championship point with a service winner, falling to the court in joy before celebrating with her team.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Visit Norway, the Scandinavian country’s tourism agency, responded to Trump’s insult with a cheeky campaign celebrating its spectacular public restrooms, declaring that Norway makes “shithouses great again.”
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
“I disagree with you completely. I think the art was about celebrating its subjects, not demeaning them. But, Earl, I’m not willing to end our relationship on a difference of opinion. I love you.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
