Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To observe (a day or event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing. See Synonyms at observe.
- v. To perform (a religious ceremony): celebrate Mass.
- v. To extol or praise: a sonnet that celebrates love.
- v. To make widely known; display: "a determination on the author's part to celebrate . . . the offenses of another” ( William H. Pritchard).
- v. To observe an occasion with appropriate ceremony or festivity.
- v. To perform a religious ceremony.
- v. To engage in festivities: went out and celebrated after the victory.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To make known, especially with honor or praise; extol; glorify.
- To commemorate or honor with demonstrations of joy, sorrow, respect, etc.: as, to celebrate a birthday or other anniversary; to celebrate a victory.
- To perform solemnly or with appropriate rites and ceremonies: as to celebrate mass; to celebrate a marriage or a public funeral.
- To laud, magnify, glorify.2, 3. Keep, Observe, Solemnize, Celebrate, Commemorate. Keep is an idiomatic word for observe: as, to keep the Sabbath; to keep Lent or feast-days. To observe is to pay regard to, in a reverent and especially a religious way. (See observance.) We speak of observing the Sabbath, of observing the wishes of one's father. To solemnize is to celebrate religiously. To celebrate is to mark, distinguish, or perform with joy and honor: as, to celebrate an anniversary; to celebrate a marriage. To commemorate is to keep in memory public and solemn acts: as, to commemorate the resurrection by observing Easter.
Wiktionary
- v. To extol or honour in a solemn manner.
- v. To honour by rites, by ceremonies of joy and respect, or by refraining from ordinary business; to observe duly; to keep.
- v. To engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event.
- v. To perform or participate in, as a sacrament or solemn rite; to solemnize; to perform with appropriate rites.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To extol or honor in a solemn manner.
- v. To honor by solemn rites, by ceremonies of joy and respect, or by refraining from ordinary business; to observe duly; to keep.
- v. To perform or participate in, as a sacrament or solemn rite; to solemnize; to perform with appropriate rites.
WordNet 3.0
- v. have a celebration
- v. behave as expected during of holidays or rites
- v. assign great social importance to
Etymologies
- Middle English celebraten, from Latin celebrāre, celebrāt-, to frequent, celebrate, from celeber, celebr-, frequented, famous.
Examples
“The same sentiment goes for Erin Brown's choice of the word "celebrate.”
“Our hooping community continues to grow and we once again celebrate our hooping “newbies” that started hooping in 2008 and are already making their mark.”
“Still, he held out the possibility that Nikliborc could again celebrate Mass.”
The Huffington Post: San Diego Diocese Sex Abuse Case: Lawyers Release 10,000 Unsealed Documents
“If you haven't encountered it before, you might just over the next few days, as knitters across Britain celebrate wool week by "tagging" lamp-posts with knitted doilies, wrapping public statues in scarves and sending knitted animals scurrying about city streets.”
“Sometimes the best thing for us to celebrate is the mere fact that we've made it to this point in life, especially if things have been challenging, which for many of us they have been recently and/or at times in our lives.”
The Huffington Post: Mike Robbins: Why It's Great to Celebrate, Anytime
“And, how did Carlin celebrate his unexpected victory?”
Did You Know? Mexico yachtsman won the first round-the-world yacht race
“But we don't spend it at home and the Christmas we celebrate is so different from the one I had as a child.”
“Clearly the appropriate way to celebrate is rampant homosexuality.”
“Something to think about: In 1776 Americans celebrated their first Independence Day while under the rule of a tyrannt. 230 years later we once again celebrate Independence Day while under the rule of a tyrannt.”
Think Progress » Washington Post reporter Dana Priest teaches Bill Bennett
“Rather than suffer the cold, the residents of Harbin celebrate it, with an annual festival of snow and ice sculptures and competitions.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘celebrate’.
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Rats
rats, rat, tree-rat, pilori-rat, prorate, pro rata, Ratso Rizzo, ratfink, rat pack, Rat Pack, Rats!, rat race and 157 more...

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