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)
-
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
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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
-
celebratedsimple
-
had celebratedperfect
-
was celebratingprogressive
-
were celebratingprogressive
-
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:
Hundreds of representatives from left-wing and Communist parties around the world have come to celebrate the man who ruled Cuba for nearly five decades before his death in 2016.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
A tree planting scheme has received £8.7m of government funding to expand the project as organisers celebrate planting more than two million trees.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Crenshaw Boulevard is a main thoroughfare that runs through the Black cultural corridor in South L.A., and Destination Crenshaw seeks to celebrate the legacy and contributions of L.A.’s Black community.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
You have a lot to think about — and celebrate.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Technically, the party was merely a family gathering on a full-moon night, but everyone knew it was really to celebrate Masvita’s new status.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
The Taliban government celebrates five years of ruling Afghanistan on Saturday, with the authorities hailing their country's "freedom" and security, while critics decry tightening restrictions in all areas of daily life.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Talarico’s Christianity celebrates pluralism, affirms LGBTQ+ individuals and believes God transcends all partisan divisions.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Combining preserved midcentury architecture, sustainable living practices, and an abundance of outdoor amenities, the Northridge property offers buyers a home that celebrates both California’s design heritage and a more intentional way of living.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
In the courthouse lobby, a hand-painted mural celebrates the county’s history.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
At the same time the sacrament of the Mass affirms ‘the perpetual contemporaneity of The Passion’ and celebrates the ‘marriage of time present with time past’.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
The Native American Afro-Latina actor said the cultural nuances brought by the diverse cast were celebrated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The neighborhood celebrated with a bear meat barbecue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Both Morgan Stanley and Bank of America touted their investments as part of the U.S.’s 250th birthday, celebrated last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
"I appreciate everybody who came out and celebrated and, you know, had fun with us," the Kansas City Chiefs player told a briefing.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
“Hijicas, we are all staying home tonight. I think we have celebrated enough.”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Still pending are the sculpting of the south-facing Glory façade, the eventual front of the church, celebrating Christ triumphant, and the addition of a grand entrance staircase envisioned by Gaudí.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
It was a feast day and everyone was celebrating, but M's daughter stayed in her room crying.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Central to that is teammates, particularly within the same position group, celebrating the success of one another rather than letting the depth chart dictate morale.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
"The government snatched away my son. If the paper had not leaked, Pradeep would be alive today. He would have been celebrating."
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
The boarder who rented the room was out for the evening, celebrating the end of the war.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
