celebrated

American  

[sel-uh-brey-tid] / ˈsɛl əˌbreɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. renowned; well-known.

   the celebrated authors of best-selling books.

   Synonyms:

   lionized, honored, notable, noted, illustrious

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celebrated British  

/ ˈsɛlɪˌbreɪtɪd /

adjective

1. (usually prenominal) famous

   a celebrated pianist

   a celebrated trial

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Related Words

See famous.

Other Word Forms

• celebratedness noun
• uncelebrated adjective
• well-celebrated adjective

Etymology

Origin of celebrated

First recorded in 1540–50; celebrate + -ed ²

Explanation

If something is celebrated, it's famous. Your town's celebrated restaurant — the one everybody knows and talks about — might be a modest barbecue joint. A celebrated writer is an important, well-known one, like Ernest Hemingway or Maya Angelou. In your family, a celebrated figure might be the cousin who visits every summer and tells the best stories. As long as someone is talked about and revered by a group of people, they're celebrated. This adjective comes from the verb celebrate and its Latin root celebrare, "to sing praises of."

Example Sentences

Guelleh celebrated his victory at his home, saying it was a victory for the entire nation.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

But the governor publicly celebrated a California Supreme Court ruling this week that Bianco halt the investigation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The stock market celebrated the cease-fire deal between the U.S. and Iran.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

A wedding is being celebrated in Helsinki in the 2000s; at the same time, seven people existing in the “world of memory” recall a tragic event that took place 10 years earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

We celebrated at the Boys and Girls Club.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes