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celebrate - 4 dictionary results

cel⋅e⋅brate

  [sel-uh-breyt] verb, -brat⋅ed, -brat⋅ing.
Use celebrate in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities: to celebrate Christmas; to celebrate the success of a new play.
2. to make known publicly; proclaim: The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.
3. to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels: a novel celebrating the joys of marriage; the countryside celebrated in the novels of Hardy.
4. to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize: to celebrate a marriage.
–verb (used without object)
5. to observe a day or commemorate an event with ceremonies or festivities.
6. to perform a religious ceremony, esp. Mass or the Lord's Supper.
7. to have or participate in a party, drinking spree, or uninhibited good time: You look like you were up celebrating all night.
Origin:
1425–75; late ME < L celebrātus ptp. of celebrāre to solemnize, celebrate, honor, equiv. to celebr- (s. of celeber) often repeated, famous + -ātus -ate 1

Related forms:
cel⋅e⋅bra⋅tive, adjective
cel⋅e⋅bra⋅tor, cel⋅e⋅brat⋅er, noun
cel⋅e⋅bra⋅to⋅ry  [sel-uh-bruh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, suh-leb-ruh-] , adjective

Synonyms:
1. honor, solemnize. 3. laud, glorify, honor, applaud, commend.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To celebrate
cel·e·brate   (sěl'ə-brāt')   
v.   cel·e·brat·ed, cel·e·brat·ing, cel·e·brates

v.   tr.
  1. To observe (a day or event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing. See Synonyms at observe.
  2. To perform (a religious ceremony): celebrate Mass.
  3. To extol or praise: a sonnet that celebrates love.
  4. To make widely known; display: "a determination on the author's part to celebrate . . . the offenses of another" (William H. Pritchard).
v.   intr.
  1. To observe an occasion with appropriate ceremony or festivity.
  2. To perform a religious ceremony.
  3. To engage in festivities: went out and celebrated after the victory.

[Middle English celebraten, from Latin celebrāre, celebrāt-, to frequent, celebrate, from celeber, celebr-, frequented, famous.]
cel'e·bra'tion n., cel'e·bra'tor n., cel'e·bra·to'ry (sěl'ə-brə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē, sə-lěb'rə-) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Celebrate

Cel"e*brate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Celebrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Celebrating.] [L. celebratus, p. p. of celebrare to frequent, to celebrate, fr. celeber famous.]

1. To extol or honor in a solemn manner; as, to celebrate the name of the Most High.

2. To honor by solemn rites, by ceremonies of joy and respect, or by refraining from ordinary business; to observe duly; to keep; as, to celebrate a birthday.

From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. --Lev. xxiii. 32.

3. To perform or participate in, as a sacrament or solemn rite; to solemnize; to perform with appropriate rites; as, to celebrate a marriage.

Syn: To commemorate; distinguish; honor.

Usage: To Celebrate, Commemorate. We commemorate events which we desire to keep in remembrance, when we recall them by some special observace; as, to commemorate the death of our Savior. We celebrate by demonstrations of joy or solemnity or by appropriate ceremonies; as, to celebrate the birthday of our Independence.

We are called upon to commemorate a revolution as surprising in its manner as happy in its consequences. --Atterbury.

Earth, water, air, and fire, with feeling glee, Exult to celebrate thy festival. --Thomson.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : celebrate
Spanish: celebrar,
German: feiern,
Japanese: 祝う
More Translations »

celebrate 
1465, from L. celebratus pp. of celebrare "to frequent in great numbers, assemble to honor," from celeber "frequented, populous." Celebrated "much-talked-about" is from 1665.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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