celebrate
verb
cel·e·brate
ˈse-lə-ˌbrāt 
celebrated; celebrating
1
: to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites
A priest celebrates Mass.
2
a
: to honor (an occasion, such as a holiday) especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business
The nation celebrates Memorial Day.
b
: to mark (something, such as an anniversary) by festivities or other deviation from routine
celebrated their 25th anniversary
3
: to hold up or play up for public notice
her poetry celebrates the glory of nature
1
: to observe a holiday, perform a religious ceremony, or take part in a festival
The holiday revelers celebrated all day long.
2
: to observe a notable occasion with festivities
decided the only way to celebrate was to have a party
Synonyms
Examples of celebrate in a Sentence
We are celebrating my birthday by going out to dinner.
The family gathered to celebrate Christmas.
We are celebrating our anniversary next week.
They are celebrating the birth of their third child.
The book celebrates the movies of the past.
Her lecture celebrated the genius of the artist.
He is celebrated for his contributions to modern science.
A priest celebrates Mass at the church daily.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Los Angeles event, which celebrates scientific achievement and also has other notable attendees like Kim Kardashian, Drew Barrymore and Robert Downey Jr., is the perfect spot for the parents to re-enter the night-out scene.
—
Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
Salovey said this year’s festival will celebrate the diversity of San Diego’s Jewish community.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Spring Dance Festival To celebrate National Dance Week, sjDANCEco is hosting its Spring Dance Festival April 27-28 at Eastridge Center, 2200 Eastridge Loop in San Jose.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Nicole Scherzinger, Succession star Sarah Snook, Game of Thrones and Sherlock actor Mark Gatiss, a revival of the musical Sunset Boulevard and the play Stranger Things: The First Shadow were among the winners at the 2024 Olivier Awards, which celebrate achievements in London theater.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Apr. 2024
Colleagues and competitors, team officials, longtime readers and even some critics all celebrated when the Associated Press Sports Editors announced this past week that Times columnist Bill Plaschke won its prestigious Red Smith Award.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Fans flocked to movie theaters dressed in pink costumes and glitter to celebrate the film.
—Herb Scribner, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
Three of the four commissioners voting on the matter April 2 celebrated the project.
—Star-Telegram Staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
In a showing of support for Biden, dozens of members of the late John F. Kennedy's family visited the White House last month to celebrate St. Patrick's Day − with Robert F. Kennedy a notable absence.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
Salovey said this year’s festival will celebrate the diversity of San Diego’s Jewish community.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Spring Dance Festival To celebrate National Dance Week, sjDANCEco is hosting its Spring Dance Festival April 27-28 at Eastridge Center, 2200 Eastridge Loop in San Jose.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Nicole Scherzinger, Succession star Sarah Snook, Game of Thrones and Sherlock actor Mark Gatiss, a revival of the musical Sunset Boulevard and the play Stranger Things: The First Shadow were among the winners at the 2024 Olivier Awards, which celebrate achievements in London theater.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Apr. 2024
Colleagues and competitors, team officials, longtime readers and even some critics all celebrated when the Associated Press Sports Editors announced this past week that Times columnist Bill Plaschke won its prestigious Red Smith Award.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Fans flocked to movie theaters dressed in pink costumes and glitter to celebrate the film.
—Herb Scribner, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
Three of the four commissioners voting on the matter April 2 celebrated the project.
—Star-Telegram Staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
In a showing of support for Biden, dozens of members of the late John F. Kennedy's family visited the White House last month to celebrate St. Patrick's Day − with Robert F. Kennedy a notable absence.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'celebrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near celebrate
Cite this Entry
“Celebrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/celebrate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
celebrate
verb
cel·e·brate
ˈsel-ə-ˌbrāt
celebrated; celebrating
1
: to perform publicly and according to certain rules
celebrate Mass
2
: to observe in some special way (as by merrymaking or by staying away from work)
celebrate a birthday
celebrate Memorial Day
3
: to praise or make known publicly
her poetry celebrates the beauty of nature
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