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celibacy

 [sel-uh-buh-see]   Origin

cel·i·ba·cy

   [sel-uh-buh-see]
noun
1.
abstention from sexual relations.
2.
abstention by vow from marriage: the celibacy of priests.
3.
the state of being unmarried.
Origin:
1655–65; < Latin caelibā(tus) celibacy (caelib-, stem of caelebs single + -ātus -ate3) + -cy

Related forms
cel·i·bat·ic  [sel-uh-bat-ik] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
celibate (ˈsɛlɪbɪt)
 
—n
1.  a person who is unmarried, esp one who has taken a religious vow of chastity
 
—adj
2.  unmarried, esp by vow
3.  abstaining from sexual intercourse
 
[C17: from Latin caelibātus, from caelebs unmarried, of obscure origin]
 
'celibacy
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

celibacy
1663, formed in Eng. from L. cælibatus "state of being unmarried," from cælebs "unmarried," from PIE base *kaiwelo- "alone" + lib(h)s- "living."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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