celibacy

American  

[sel-uh-buh-see] / ˈsɛl ə bə si /

noun

1. abstention from sexual relations.

2. abstention by vow from marriage.

   the celibacy of priests.

3. the state of being unmarried.

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Other Word Forms

• celibatic adjective

Etymology

Origin of celibacy

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin caelibā(tus) “celibacy” ( caelib-, stem of caelebs “single” + -ātus -ate ³ ) + -cy

Example Sentences

Under the Church's by-laws, only monks who took a vow of celibacy can be elected a Catholicos.

From BBC

It’s unsurprising then that Febos discovered that nuns were some of the first women to find freedom in celibacy.

From Los Angeles Times

Additionally, online users said that the ads emphasized the very reasons why their celibacy was important to them.

From Salon

Women on social media castigated the company for suggesting celibacy isn’t a valid personal choice.

From Seattle Times

The loud and malapropism-prone Archie also touched on subjects such as atheism, the virtues of premarital celibacy, the breakdown of law and order, long hair on boys and short skirts on girls.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chastity