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celibate

adj
/ˈsɛləbət/

Etymology

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)

  1. derived from caelibātus — “celibacy”
  2. borrowed from célibat — “celibacy”

Definitions

  1. Not married.

  2. Abstaining from sexual relations and pleasures.

    • Members of religious communities sometimes take vows to remain celibate.
    • Juanita went celibate for a while and then started going out with Da5id and eventually got married to him.

  3. One who is not married, especially one who has taken a religious vow not to get married,…

    One who is not married, especially one who has taken a religious vow not to get married, usually because of being a member of a religious community.

    • Even during the ages that priestly marriage was permitted, celibates obtained a higher reputation for sanctity and virtue than married priests, who infinitely more than celibates were believed subject to infestation by demons.
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. To practice celibacy.

      • However, be that as it may, Stason celebrated with the boys while Hessel celibated alone.
      • These kids were winding up 45 years and 4 days of celebrating. Me? I'm winding up seven years of celibating looking for a patient virgin.
      • RICHARD: The Franciscans have turned me down, Angelina. They have asked me to travel another road to sainthood. TOM: Richard is done with celibating!

    2. A celibate state

      A celibate state; celibacy.

      • He […] preferreth holy Cœlibate before the eſtate of Marriage, […]
      • And Mrs Gorman had had several admirers, both before and after Mr Gorman, and even during Mr Gorman, and Watt at least two well defined romances, in the course of his celibate.

The neighborhood

Derived

celibatarian, celibately, celibatist, incelibate, noncelibate

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for celibate. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA