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:
The 1954 TV show made him a local celebrity flush with cash, but he chafed against the producers who he said “tried to make robots out of us.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
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
The documentary portrays Leto as a celebrity who leveraged his fame to connect with young fans and control them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 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
Nine times out of ten, your European name was chosen at random, plucked from the Bible or taken from a Hollywood celebrity or a famous politician in the news.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Bass’ fundraising haul came from celebrities, politicians and business leaders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Sometimes they featured celebrities recounting past glories or promoting their newest releases.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
He’s similarly susceptible to the flattery of celebrities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Personalities aside, there's the more existential question of whether the BBC even needs a new talk series, when there are now hundreds of other platforms where celebrities can go to promote their product.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 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.
