celebrity
Americannoun
-
celebrities
plural
-
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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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:
According to a statement from the family, the embattled celebrity blogger has entered a residential treatment program after receiving treatment for his physical injuries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
A spokesperson for Reform said the party was supportive of "celebrity detective" Sutton and pointed out half of his shows would take place at weekends.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The 30-year-old told AFP in Venice she disliked fame and celebrity, but Gyllenhaal tipped her for even greater success.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
The celebrity Chiefs are a second-tier team that still has 10 months left to buy a memorable wedding present.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
“Kate Fox at the Altar” described for the American public the wedding’s dresses, décor, and celebrity sightings: a German prince and the Duke of Wellington’s son.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
The family also addressed “disturbing” social media posts targeting the blogger for his past behavior bullying celebrities through his coverage, and reminded the public that Hilton’s three children came close to losing their father.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Body-language and facial-expression experts regularly claim to be able to decipher, for instance, the unspoken relationships between celebrities on the red carpet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Others were built on top of recordings uploaded to Cameo, a service that lets celebrities sell personalized videos to fans.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
We all also have plenty of celebrities with idiosyncratic features who nonetheless have the confidence and quelque chose de spécial that makes them irresistible to many.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
“It isn’t Nigeria, but it’s close. I know celebrities can be flighty but she seems to be doing good work.”
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
