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
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.
“There’s absolutely a renaissance in gas-station dining right now,” said the celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Podcasters and influencers have been dissecting the parade of celebrity friends likely to attend, from longtime friend Selena Gomez, to frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff - but none have confirmed.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Then there’s the real world—the one where readers and viewers lap up celebrity updates, clickbait headlines, and bleed-and-lead news segments.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
The exception is the rare celebrity chef with a built-in or enduring audience, such as Gordon Ramsay.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
After the morning’s treasure hunt, even the girls who had not previously heard of Penelope thought of her as a celebrity.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
