Word
celibate
Phoneticsceli·bate
US/ˈsɛɫɪbət/
UK/sˈɛlɪbˌeɪt/
Definitions
01abstaining from sex
adj. choosing not to have sex or get married, usually because of a religious promise.
adj. abstaining from sexual relations and marriage, often as a result of a religious vow.
“The priest took a vow to remain celibate for the rest of his life.”
“Although he was not a member of any formal order, he chose to lead a celibate life to focus entirely on his spiritual practice.”
Formal
Usage
Usually describes a person or their lifestyle.
Teaching tip
Learners should distinguish this from 'single'; celibacy implies a deliberate choice or vow rather than just being unmarried.
Antonyms
02a person who is celibate
n. a person who does not have sex or get married.
n. an individual who practices celibacy, especially one who has taken religious vows.
“He lived as a celibate in a small house near the monastery.”
“The community was composed entirely of celibates who had dedicated their lives to quiet contemplation and scholarship.”
Formal
Usage
Used as a countable noun to refer to the person.
Teaching tip
The noun form is less common in modern speech than the adjective form.
Synonyms
03the state of celibacy
n. the state of being unmarried or not having sex.
n. the state of being unmarried or abstaining from sexual relations.
“In the past, many people believed that celibate was a higher way of living.”
“The ancient text discusses the virtues of celibate as a path to enlightenment.”
Archaic
Usage
Used as an uncountable noun; almost entirely replaced by 'celibacy' in modern English.
Teaching tip
This sense is found in historical or religious texts; modern speakers use 'celibacy' for the state and 'celibate' for the person.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Probably from the noun (“celibacy”) or from celibacy on the model of privacy/private, etc. Alternatively, from Latin caelebs (“single”) + -ate.
From Latin caelebs + -ate (noun-forming suffix)
From Latin caelebs + -ate (verb-forming suffix)
From French célibat (“celibacy”), from Latin caelibātus (“celibacy”), from caelebs (“unmarried”); compare German Zölibat (“celibacy”). Equivalent to Latin caelebs + -ate (forming nouns denoting a rank, a state)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
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englishreference.com/q/celibate