celibacy
[ sel-uh-buh-see ]
/ ˈsɛl ə bə si /
noun
abstention from sexual relations.
abstention by vow from marriage: the celibacy of priests.
the state of being unmarried.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of celibacy
OTHER WORDS FROM celibacy
cel·i·bat·ic [sel-uh-bat-ik], /ˌsɛl əˈbæt ɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby celibacy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021