Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
celibate en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
Probably from the noun (“celibacy”) or from celibacy on the model of privacy/private, etc. Alternatively, from Latin caelebs (“single”) + -ate.
Meanings
-
(not-comparable, qualifier:chiefly religious) Not married.
-
(broadly, not-comparable) Abstaining from sexual relations and pleasures.
Juanita went celibate for a while and then started going out with Da5id and eventually got married to him.
1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 57:Members of religious communities sometimes take vows to remain celibate.
Forms
Deriveds
noncelibate · celibately · incelibate · celibatist · celibatarian
Hyponyms
incel · volcel
Relateds
celibacy
Synonyms
pure (abstaining from sex) · single (not married) · abstinent (abstaining from sex) · unmarried (not married) · chaste (abstaining from sex)
Translations (64)
ia celibe (unmarried) · sh нео̀жењен (unmarried) · da ugift (unmarried) · gd aontamhach (unmarried) · io celiba (unmarried) · es célibe (unmarried) · lt viengungiškas (unmarried) · mh bōjin (unmarried) · bg неженен (unmarried) · sh не̏уда̄н or не̏уда̄т (unmarried) · be нежана́ты (unmarried) · sk neženatý (unmarried) · pl nieżonaty (unmarried) · hu nőtlen (unmarried) · it celibe (unmarried) · cmn 獨身 /独身 (unmarried) · de unverheiratet (unmarried) · nl celibatair (unmarried) · nl ongehuwd (unmarried) · de zölibatär (unmarried) · gl célibe (unmarried) · ko 독신 (unmarried) · sk slobodný (unmarried) · hy չամուսնացած (unmarried) · be незаму́жняя (unmarried) · de ehelos (unmarried) · pt celibatário (unmarried) · bg неомъжена (unmarried) · uk незамі́жня (unmarried) · be халасты́ (unmarried) · ia celibatario (unmarried) · hu hajadon (unmarried) · de sexuell enthaltsam (unmarried) · cs svobodný (unmarried) · ota اركن (unmarried) · ru холосто́й (unmarried) · fi naimaton (unmarried) · uk незаму́жня (unmarried) · ga gan phósadh (unmarried) · la caelebs (unmarried) · sk slobodná (unmarried) · uk нежона́тий (unmarried) · uk неодру́жений (unmarried) · ja 独身 (unmarried) · cs neženatý (unmarried) · cs žijící v celibátu (unmarried) · fo ógiftur (unmarried) · cs celibátní (unmarried) · sk nevydatá (unmarried) · ota بكار (unmarried) · hy ամուրի (unmarried) · sv ogift (unmarried) · sh neòženjen (unmarried) · eo fraŭla (cf. fraŭlina) (unmarried) · pl niezamężna (unmarried) · ast célibe (unmarried) · cs nevdaná (unmarried) · de keusch (unmarried) · ru незаму́жняя (unmarried) · ru нежена́тый (unmarried) · sh nȅudān or nȅudāt (unmarried) · el άγαμος (unmarried) · fr célibataire (unmarried) · ga aontumhach (unmarried)
celibate en · NOUN · etymology 2
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Latin caelebs + -ate (noun-forming suffix)
Meanings
-
(uncountable) 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.
1893, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Woman, Church and State: A Historical Account of the Status of Woman Through the Christian Ages: with Reminiscences of the Matriarchate:
Forms
Antonyms
copulator · person · libertine · sexual partner
Hyponyms
grasseater · incel · herbivore man · volcel
Relateds
nun · friar · virgin · nun · monk · bachelor · monk
Synonyms
celibatist · celibate · cel · abstinent · volcel
Translations (28)
lt viengungis (person who is not married) · pt celibatária (person who is not married) · de Zölibatär (person who is not married) · de Zölibatärin (person who is not married) · ru незаму́жняя (person who is not married) · hy ամուրի (person who is not married) · ru холостя́к (person who is not married) · ja 独身 (person who is not married) · de Junggeselle (person who is not married) · hu nőtlen (person who is not married) · fr célibataire (person who is not married) · pt celibatário (person who is not married) · hu hajadon (person who is not married) · ga duine gan phósadh (person who is not married) · pl osoba żyjąca w celibacie (person who is not married) · ru холосто́й (person who is not married) · bg ерген (person who is not married) · ko 독신자 (person who is not married) · mh bōjin (person who is not married) · de Unverheirateter (person who is not married) · de Junggesellin (person who is not married) · ga aontumhach (person who is not married) · hu agglegény (person who is not married) · cmn 獨身者 /独身者 (person who is not married) · cs osoba žijící v celibátu (person who is not married) · de Unverheiratete (person who is not married) · el άγαμος (person who is not married) · fi selibaatti (person who is not married)
celibate en · VERB · etymology 3
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Latin caelebs + -ate (verb-forming suffix)
Meanings
-
(intransitive, rare) To practice celibacy.
However, be that as it may, Stason celebrated with the boys while Hessel celibated alone.
1941, Michigan Raw Review, page 34:RICHARD: The Franciscans have turned me down, Angelina. They have asked me to travel another road to sainthood. TOM: Richard is done with celibating!
1983, Jerry Bamman, Ecco!, page 1-36: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.
1973, Stevens Indicator - Volumes 90-91, page 55:But if she must break off her celibating, it's a shame and a pity she had to choose him to do it with.
2010, Joan Smith, Aurora:But also with labels like “whore” and “slut”, as a male, it's annoying, because, women don't need to be chastised and made colder in this ice age we live in— they need to be warmed up, turned on, complimented, celebrated (not celibated), encouraged to enjoy their bodies, and pursue pleasure soberly and intelligently.
2012, Ted Huntington, Big Science Secrets, Lies, and Mistakes, page 129:
Forms
celibate en · NOUN · etymology 4
Pronunciation
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)
Meanings
-
(obsolete, uncountable) A celibate state; celibacy.
He […] preferreth holy Cœlibate before the eſtate of Marriage, […]
1678, Jeremy Taylor, “The History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus: […]. The Third Part.”, in Antiquitates Christianæ: Or, the History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus: […], London: […] E. Flesher, and R. Norton, for R[ichard] Royston, […], →OCLC, section XIV (Of the Third Year of the Preaching of Jesus), page 327: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.
1953, Samuel Beckett, chapter II, in Watt, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, published 1959, →OCLC, page 139:
Forms
Antonyms
copulator · person · libertine · sexual partner
Hyponyms
grasseater · incel · herbivore man · volcel
Relateds
nun · virgin · monk
Synonyms
celibatist · celibate · cel · abstinent