celebrate

English

Etymology

From Middle English celebraten, from Latin celebratus, past pariticiple of celebrō (“frequent, go to in great numbers, celebrate, honor, praise”), from celeber (“frequented, populous”). Displaced native Old English fæġnian.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛl.ɪ.bɹeɪt/, /ˈsɛl.ə.bɹeɪt/

• 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.

   Synonym: fete

   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.

   Synonyms: observe, keep

   to celebrate a birthday

   • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict‎^[1]:

     Hester Earle and Violet Wayne were moving about the aisle with bundles of wheat-ears and streamers of ivy, for the harvest thanksgiving was shortly to be celebrated, while the vicar stood waiting for their directions on the chancel steps with a great handful of crimson gladioli.

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

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

   • 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:

     As Di Matteo celebrated and captain John Terry raised the trophy for the fourth time, the Italian increased his claims to become the permanent successor to Andre Villas-Boas by landing a trophy.

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

   Synonym: solemnize

   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.”

Related terms

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

Translations

extol or honour in a solemn manner

• Belarusian: праслаўля́ць impf (praslaŭljácʹ), прасла́віць pf (praslávicʹ)
• Bulgarian: просла́вям (bg) impf (proslávjam), просла́вя (bg) pf (proslávja)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 頌揚／颂扬 (zh) (sòngyáng), 颂扬 (zh) (sòngyáng)

• Danish: prise
• Dutch: vieren (nl)
• Finnish: ylistää (fi)
• French: rendre hommage (fr), célébrer (fr)
• Galician: celebrar (gl)
• German: feiern (de), zelebrieren (de)
• Greek: γιορτάζω (el) (giortázo)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Guaraní: hecharamo
• Indonesian: merayakan (id)
• Italian: celebrare (it)
• Latin: celebrō
• Maori: whakanui, whakahari
• Polish: wychwalać (pl) impf, sławić (pl) impf
• Portuguese: celebrar (pt)
• Romanian: celebra (ro)
• Russian: че́ствовать (ru) impf (čéstvovatʹ) (no perfective), прославля́ть (ru) impf (proslavljátʹ), просла́вить (ru) pf (proslávitʹ)
• Spanish: honrar (es), loar (es), alabar (es)
• Ukrainian: прославля́ти impf (proslavljáty), просла́вити pf (proslávyty)

honour by rites, ceremonies, etc.

• Arabic: اِحْتَفَلَ (iḥtafala)
• Aromanian: sãrbãturescu
• Assamese: পাল (pal), পালন কৰ (palon kor)
• Bulgarian: че́ствам impf (čéstvam), ознамену́вам (bg) impf (oznamenúvam)
• Catalan: celebrar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 慶祝／庆祝 (zh) (qìngzhù), 庆祝 (zh) (qìngzhù)

• Czech: slavit (cs)
• Danish: højtideligholde
• Dutch: vieren (nl)
• Finnish: juhlia (fi)
• French: fêter (fr), célébrer (fr)
• Galician: celebrar (gl)
• German: feiern (de), zelebrieren (de), halten (de)
• Greek: γιορτάζω (el) (giortázo)

  Ancient: ποιέω (poiéō)

• Guaraní: hecharamo
• Hungarian: ünnepel (hu)
• Indonesian: merayakan (id)
• Irish: ceiliúir, ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: festeggiare (it), celebrare (it)
• Japanese: 祝う (ja) (いわう, iwau)
• Kazakh: мерекелеу (kk) (merekeleu)
• Korean: 축하하다 (ko) (chukhahada)
• Latin: celebrō, faciō (la)
• Malayalam: ആഘോഷിക്കുക (ml) (āghōṣikkuka)
• Maori: whakanui
• Occitan: celebrar (oc)
• Persian: جشن گرفتن (fa) (jašn gereftan)
• Polish: obchodzić (pl) impf, celebrować (pl) impf
• Portuguese: celebrar (pt)
• Romanian: celebra (ro), sărbători (ro)
• Russian: пра́здновать (ru) impf (prázdnovatʹ), отпра́здновать (ru) pf (otprázdnovatʹ), че́ствовать (ru) impf (čéstvovatʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: славити

  Roman: slaviti (sh)

• Sicilian: fistijari
• Spanish: celebrar (es)
• Tamil: கொண்டாடு (ta) (koṇṭāṭu)
• Ukrainian: сла́вити (uk) impf (slávyty), святкува́ти impf (svjatkuváty), відсвяткува́ти pf (vidsvjatkuváty), посвяткува́ти pf (posvjatkuváty)
• Vietnamese: kỷ niệm (vi)
• Walloon: fiesti (wa)

to engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event

• American Sign Language: X@SideChinhigh-X@SideChinhigh CirclesHoriz-CirclesHoriz
• Arabic: اِحْتَفَلَ (iḥtafala)
• Armenian: տոնել (hy) (tonel)
• Assamese: পাল (pal), পালন কৰ (palon kor)
• Belarusian: святкава́ць impf (svjatkavácʹ), адсвяткава́ць pf (adsvjatkavácʹ)
• Bulgarian: празну́вам (bg) impf (praznúvam)
• Catalan: celebrar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 慶祝／庆祝 (zh) (qìngzhù), 庆祝 (zh) (qìngzhù), 慶賀／庆贺 (zh) (qìnghè), 庆贺 (zh) (qìnghè)

• Danish: fejre, feste
• Esperanto: celebri
• Finnish: juhlia (fi)
• French: fêter (fr), faire la fête (fr)
• Galician: festexar, celebrar (gl)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: feiern (de)
• Gothic: 𐌳𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (dulþjan)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: γιορτάζω (el) (giortázo)
• Indonesian: rayakan (id)
• Italian: festeggiare (it)
• Japanese: 祝う (ja) (いわう, iwau)
• Kazakh: мерекелеу (kk) (merekeleu)
• Korean: 축하하다 (ko) (chukhahada)
• Malayalam: ആഘോഷിക്കുക (ml) (āghōṣikkuka)
• Maori: hari
• Occitan: celebrar (oc)
• Polish: świętować (pl) impf, uczcić (pl) pf, oblać (pl) pf (colloquial), fetować (pl) impf, celebrować (pl) impf
• Portuguese: celebrar (pt), festejar (pt)
• Quechua: kusikuy (qu)
• Romanian: sărbători (ro)
• Russian: пра́здновать (ru) impf (prázdnovatʹ), отпра́здновать (ru) pf (otprázdnovatʹ)
• Spanish: celebrar (es), festejar (es)
• Swedish: fira (sv)
• Tamil: கொண்டாடு (ta) (koṇṭāṭu)
• Ukrainian: святкува́ти impf (svjatkuváty), відсвяткува́ти pf (vidsvjatkuváty), посвяткува́ти pf (posvjatkuváty)

perform or participate in

• Catalan: celebrar (ca)
• Dutch: vieren (nl)
• Finnish: juhlia (fi)
• French: célébrer (fr)
• Galician: celebrar (gl)
• German: feiern (de), zelebrieren (de)
• Greek: γιορτάζω (el) (giortázo)
• Hungarian: celebrál (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Indonesian: merayakan (id)
• Irish: ceiliúir
• Italian: celebrare (it)
• Malayalam: ആഘോഷിക്കുക (ml) (āghōṣikkuka)
• Portuguese: celebrar (pt)
• Russian: пра́здновать (ru) impf (prázdnovatʹ)
• Spanish: celebrar (es),
• Ukrainian: святкува́ти impf (svjatkuváty)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} celebri
• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} לחגוג (lakhgog)
• Ido: ^{(please verify)} celebrar (io)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} feire (no)
• Welsh: ^{(please verify)} dathlu (cy)

Further reading

• “celebrate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “celebrate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “celebrate”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• erectable

---

Esperanto

Adverb

celebrate

1. present adverbial passive participle of celebri

---

Italian

Verb

celebrate

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

Anagrams

• cablerete

---

Latin

Verb

(deprecated template usage) celebrāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of celebrō