celebrate

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈsɛl.ɪ.bɹeɪt/, /ˈsɛl.ə.bɹeɪt/; SAMPA: /"sEl.I.breIt/, /"sEl.@.breIt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

celebrate (third-person singular simple present celebrates, present participle celebrating, simple past and past participle celebrated)

1. (transitive) To extol or honour in a solemn manner.

   to celebrate the name of the Most High

2. (transitive) To honour by rites, by ceremonies of joy and respect, or by refraining from ordinary business; to observe duly; to keep.

   to celebrate a birthday

3. (intransitive) To engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event.

   I was promoted today at work—let’s celebrate!

4. (transitive) To perform or participate in, as a sacrament or solemn rite; to solemnize; to perform with appropriate rites.

   to celebrate a marriage

Usage notes

In sense “to conduct ceremonies, to follow a custom”, generally used of festive occasions, such as Christmas and birthdays. For more solemn occasions, particularly certain religious holidays (“holy days”) and commemorations, the term observe is used instead, as in “This office will be closed in observance of Veterans Day.”

Synonyms

• (extol, honour (someone)): fete

Related terms

• celebrant
• celebration
• celebrated
• celebrator
• celebratory
• celebrity

Translations

extol or honour in a solemn manner

Bulgarian: прославям (bg) Danish: prise (da) Dutch: vieren (nl) Finnish: ylistää (fi) French: rendre hommage (fr), célébrer (fr)

German: feiern (de), zelebrieren (de) Italian: celebrare (it) Russian: чествовать (ru) (čéstvovat’) impf. (no perfective), прославлять (ru) (proslavlját’) impf., прославить (ru) (proslávit’) pf.

honour by rites, ceremonies, etc.

Arabic: احتفل (ar) (iḥtáfala) Bulgarian: чествам (bg), ознаменувам (bg) Catalan: celebrar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 慶祝 (zh), 庆祝 (zh) (qìngzhù) Croatian: slaviti (hr) Czech: slavit (cs) Danish: højtideligholde (da) Dutch: vieren (nl) Finnish: juhlia (fi)

French: fêter (fr), célébrer (fr) German: feiern (de), zelebrieren (de) Hungarian: ünnepel (hu) Italian: festeggiare (it), celebrare (it) Japanese: 祝う (ja) (いわう, iwau) Korean: 축하하다 (ko) (chuka-hada) Russian: праздновать (ru) (prázdnovat’) impf., отпраздновать (ru) (otprázdnovat’) pf. Serbo-Croatian: slaviti (sh)

to engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event

American Sign Language: X@SideChinhigh-X@SideChinhigh CirclesHoriz-CirclesHoriz Arabic: احتفل (ar) (iḥtáfala) Bulgarian: празнувам (bg) Catalan: celebrar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 慶祝 (zh), 庆祝 (zh) (qìngzhù), 慶賀 (zh), 庆贺 (zh) (qìnghè) Danish: fejre (da), feste (da)

Finnish: juhlia (fi) French: fêter (fr), faire la fête (fr) German: feiern (de) Italian: festeggiare (it) Japanese: 祝う (ja) (いわう, iwau) Russian: праздновать (ru) (prázdnovat’) impf., отпраздновать (ru) (otprázdnovat’) pf. Spanish: celebrar (es), festejar (es)

perform or participate in

Dutch: vieren (nl) Finnish: juhlia (fi) French: célébrer (fr)

German: feiern (de), zelebrieren (de) Italian: celebrare (it)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Esperanto: celebri Hebrew: לחגוג (lakhgog) Ido: celebrar Lojban: salci

Japanese: 祝う (いわう) Norwegian: feire Portuguese: celebrar Spanish: celebrar Welsh: dathlu

---

Esperanto

Adverb

celebrate

1. present adverbial passive participle of celebri

---

Italian

Verb

celebrate

1. second-person plural indicative present of celebrare
2. second-person plural imperative of celebrare

Anagrams

• cablerete

---

Latin

Verb

celebrāte

1. first-person plural present active imperative of celebrō