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)
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(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
-
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:
“Rather than erase those histories and make the campus feel as though it had always been a singular space, we wanted the landscape to celebrate them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
In August we’re going to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Green Apron Service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 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
On Thursday, he appeared with his Dodgers on the lawn of the White House to celebrate their 2025 championship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Sarah and Jack and the clover elves are just about to celebrate their victory over the troll army when an ogre kidnaps Jack and sweeps him off to the hobgoblin king’s castle.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
Opening Feb. 26 at LACMA, his new art installation celebrates 25 years of his beloved debut film, “Amores Perros.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Spain celebrates both a soccer win and a sense of wider success.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 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
King Charles has sent his "warmest congratulations" the United States as the country celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 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
When the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated on the field after winning the World Series in October 2024, there was one person notably missing from the festivities: Mark Walter, the team’s owner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
That event was contained in OpenAI's own IT systems and "largely celebrated at the time", the CSA noted.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
As Saar’s 100th birthday approached, her work and its groundbreaking importance were celebrated afresh in a slew of articles, including two recent profiles in The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
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
They celebrated one more mystery solved by the Clue Crew!
From "Case of the Sneaky Snowman: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #5" by Carolyn Keene
Irish rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll and the golfer Shane Lowry also posted on social media celebrating the win.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Every detail, from the custom Vintage Rose hue to the hand-draped silk chiffon, delicate lacework and sculpted corsetry, was created to reflect her effortless spirit while celebrating the artistry of couture.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont responded to the US walkout, saying: "This year we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. And everyone knows the role France has played in that."
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The commerce secretary has recently attended several Micron events celebrating manufacturing progress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
They all seem to be celebrating something—laughing, singing, and drinking with one another like their team just won the World Cup.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
