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

The brand new, 65-person cocktail bar is the brainchild of celebrated bartender Jeff Bell, known for his work at the pioneering Please Don’t Tell, or PDT, in New York’s East Village.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Rothman celebrated the progress, but noted that sales have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

“The home has since nurtured three generations of artists, remaining a beloved gathering spot for Greenwich Village’s most celebrated creative minds,” the listing adds.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

With that came passing off the Ruby, her celebrated co-working space in the Mission District.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

“Yes, we do belong here,” says Jacob, who knows almost as much as Isaac, just having celebrated his bar mitzvah.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar