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celibate

[ sel-uh-bit, -beyt ]
/ ˈsɛl ə bɪt, -ˌbeɪt /
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See synonyms for: celibate / celibates on Thesaurus.com

noun
a person who abstains from sexual relations.
a person who remains unmarried, especially for religious reasons.
adjective
observing or pertaining to sexual abstention or a religious vow not to marry.
not married.
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Origin of celibate

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin caelib- (stem of caelebs ) “unmarried” + -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM celibate

non·cel·i·bate, adjectiveun·cel·i·bate, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH celibate

1. celebrate, celibate , cerebrate2. celibate , chaste
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use celibate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for celibate

celibate
/ (ˈsɛlɪbɪt) /

noun
a person who is unmarried, esp one who has taken a religious vow of chastity
adjective
unmarried, esp by vow
abstaining from sexual intercourse

Derived forms of celibate

celibacy, noun

Word Origin for celibate

C17: from Latin caelibātus, from caelebs unmarried, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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