celebrity
Americannoun
-
a famous or well-known person.
-
fame; renown.
- Synonyms:
- stardom, eminence, note, distinction
noun
-
a famous person
a show-business celebrity
-
fame or notoriety
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of celebrity
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin celebritās multitude, fame, festal celebration, equivalent to celebr- (stem of celeber ) often repeated, famous + -itās -ity
Explanation
A celebrity is a very famous person. If you single-handedly save an entire family from a burning building, you'll become a local celebrity. Celebrity comes directly from the Latin celebritatum, meaning famous, and is related to the verb celebrate which means to honor something with the proper ritual. We usually use celebrity now when we talk about entertainment stars, but someone doesn't have to be on the supermarket tabloids to be a celebrity. Celebrity can also be used to mean the state of fame. If you are seeking celebrity, develop a thick skin for nasty rumors.
Vocabulary lists containing celebrity
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Academy Awards, List 5
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Lesson 5
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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:
High-end taxi company Wheely whisks its celebrity and business clientele around in unmarked vehicles and makes its drivers sign nondisclosure agreements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Rahmani also noted celebrity clients often push their defense attorneys to fight a two-pronged battle: one in criminal court, the other in the media.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
She felt Beckham had achieved something few celebrities manage, moving effortlessly between football, fashion, entertainment, business and the cult of celebrity.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The 56-year-old’s waterfront property became one of the most closely watched celebrity homes in the country after he pledged it as part of a $50 million bail package following his September 2024 arrest.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Two months after the flight that earned her the Order of Lenin, the fateful wind behind her would make her an international celebrity.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
More than a decade ago, a local data nerd was able to obtain taxi commission data and cross-reference it with photos on celebrity gossip blogs to purportedly show that some celebrities didn’t tip their drivers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
HSN soon had celebrities pitching their own product lines, a technique that is now occasionally used by the morning shows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
It will conclude a North American World Cup where celebrities have been seen at every turn - from delivering the match ball to waving to cameras after flashing up on big screens during games.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Even with its reputation as a watering hole for Hollywood’s biggest names, Dan Tana refused to pander to celebrities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
However, he joked that I had also caused some problems for him: The people in his village thought he must be rich since his granddaughter was hobnobbing with American celebrities.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
