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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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:
“The property’s celebrity provenance and distinctive design details will naturally generate significant interest,” she says.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
The action in “Black Doves” will have an American wondering about the nature of English political celebrity, cellphone addiction and notions of privacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Raman’s most-liked celebrity endorsement included here was not cross-posted to her account, but rather came from Mulligan’s own get-out-the-vote video.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
"When it's used in this gushing celebrity context, it's a bit like using 'slay' - 'she's a queen, she slays'," says Thorne.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Curious sightseers came from far and wide to view the celebrity ship and its daring crew.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
The Lucas Museum’s opening-night party was packed with as many high-wattage celebrities as your typical Academy Awards bash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Of all the celebrities I’d bet on botching their Halloween getup, Martha Stewart would have been the longest shot.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
Falling head-over-heels for a home without actually stepping foot in it is a universal experience—and it impacts celebrities, too.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
In the episode, the sequence where the celebrities all voted for James in light of his admission was shown as a relatively quick and straightforward process, raising a question about what prompted Romesh's shocked look.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Leah learned that Maggie and Kate were local celebrities; but opinions varied.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
