celibacy
Americannoun
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abstention from sexual relations.
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abstention by vow from marriage.
the celibacy of priests.
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the state of being unmarried.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of celibacy
First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin caelibā(tus) “celibacy” ( caelib-, stem of caelebs “single” + -ātus -ate 3 ) + -cy
Explanation
When you abstain from sex, you're practicing celibacy. Roman Catholic priests and nuns take a vow of celibacy, and the practice is not uncommon in other religions, too. The idea is often that sexual relations, marriage, and children are a distraction that keep you from fully devoting yourself to the spiritual life. You can also use celibacy more generally to refer to the state of being single or unmarried.
Vocabulary lists containing celibacy
"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
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“On Civil Disobedience” by Mohandas K. Gandhi
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The Girls I've Been
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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.
The ecstasies of attraction are sublimated into their long conversations about Boethius and Hildegard von Bingen, or about the suddenly debatable issues of contraception and clerical celibacy.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Now that I’ve had some distance from it and can look at it more objectively, I’m finding that people in these testimonials change their behavior, enter into mixed-orientation marriages, or choose celibacy.
From Slate • Oct. 14, 2025
Under the Church's by-laws, only monks who took a vow of celibacy can be elected a Catholicos.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2025
"We made a mistake. Our ads referencing celibacy were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating, and instead of bringing joy and humor, we unintentionally did the opposite," the statement read.
From Salon • May 15, 2024
He saw him through his travail of celibacy and felt that he was guiding him into calm waters.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
