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
And the Oscar Goes to... Award-worthy Words
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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:
That most recent listing, which is held by celebrity real estate agent Josh Flagg, has now been updated to reflect that the property is under “contingent” offer.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
So was skepticism that a celebrity, even at Blake’s modest level, might be convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
To promote its “Divorce Collection” of date-night apparel, Reformation partnered with celebrity divorce lawyer Laura Wasser.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
This dynamic highlights the core problem with the era of the celebrity reporter, one of the most paradoxical developments in modern political media.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Maxine didn’t tell me how I’d feel like some kind of celebrity, the way everyone keeps coming up to me, asking, “Are you the young lady who made that art piece? It’s lovely.”
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
Gavin de Becker, a security consultant for celebrities whose firm originally developed the terminal, has leveled serious accusations against the current operator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Even Kim Kardashian facilitated a Zoom call with Fauci in April 2020 that drew celebrities ranging from Ariana Grande to Ashton Kutcher and Chris Rock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
She emerged from the weekend with half the media world and a chorus of Hollywood celebrities wildly applauding her bravery.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
The Strictly stars were joined by five other pairs of celebrities as they spent two weeks dodging expert hunters.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
It was like one of those roast things celebrities have, but better.
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
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.
