celebrate

celebrate — verb

1. when people get together for parties, meals, or other enjoyable events because a

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

when people get together for parties, meals, or other enjoyable events because a special time or happy event has arrived

Example

The whole village gathered in the square to celebrate the harvest festival.

celebrate + noun phrase (occasion)

We celebrated my mother's birthday with a huge cake and lots of balloons.

celebrate + possessive + noun (event)

Common collocations
  • celebrate a birthday
  • celebrate an anniversary
  • celebrate a holiday
  • celebrate a victory
  • celebrate with friends
  • celebrate by going out
Synonyms
  • mark

    more formal; often used for anniversaries or solemn occasions

  • commemorate

    more formal and serious; focuses on remembering rather than having fun

  • party

    informal; used as a verb mainly in everyday speech ('We partied all night')

Antonyms
  • mourn

    opposite in emotion — mourning is the expression of grief, not joy

Grammar Patterns

celebrate + noun (occasion/event)

celebrate (no object)

Usage Note

This is the most common sense. Use 'celebrate + by doing something' to describe how people mark an occasion. The intransitive form ('We celebrated all night') is common in informal speech.

Common Mistakes

We celebrated the party all night.
We celebrated at the party all night.
You celebrate an occasion (birthday, festival), not the party itself.
I want to celebrate for my success.
I want to celebrate my success.
'Celebrate' takes a direct object; no preposition is needed.

2. to publicly praise someone or something for their special qualities or achieveme

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to publicly praise someone or something for their special qualities or achievements

Example

The newspaper article celebrated the courage of the firefighters who saved the children.

celebrate + noun (abstract quality of someone)

Aiko's novel was celebrated by critics for its honest portrayal of family life.

passive: be celebrated by + agent + for + noun

Common collocations
  • celebrate someone's achievements
  • celebrate the work of
  • celebrated for its
  • celebrate the life of
Synonyms
  • praise

    more general and everyday; less formal than this sense of 'celebrate'

  • honour

    similar formality; focuses on showing respect rather than expressing admiration

  • acclaim

    more formal; implies widespread public recognition

Antonyms
  • criticize

    to express disapproval rather than admiration

Grammar Patterns

celebrate + noun (person/achievement/quality)

Usage Note

Unlike 'praise', this sense carries a tone of public recognition and honouring. The object is often an achievement, a quality, or a person's life work — not a simple everyday compliment. Frequently used in formal or semi-formal writing (reviews, speeches, articles).

Common Mistakes

My boss celebrated me for finishing the report on time.
My boss praised me for finishing the report on time.
This sense is for notable, public recognition, not everyday workplace praise.

3. to be the priest or minister who leads a religious service such as Mass or a wed

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to be the priest or minister who leads a religious service such as Mass or a wedding

Example

Father Thomas celebrated Mass at the small country church every Sunday morning.

celebrate + religious noun (Mass/service)

The bishop celebrated the wedding of the young couple in the old cathedral.

celebrate + noun (wedding/funeral as religious rite)

Common collocations
  • celebrate Mass
  • celebrate a wedding
  • celebrate a funeral
  • celebrate the Eucharist
  • celebrate a service
Synonyms
  • perform

    more general; can apply to any type of ceremony, religious or secular

  • officiate

    formal; emphasizes acting as the official leader of a rite

  • conduct

    neutral; used for both religious and formal ceremonies

Grammar Patterns

celebrate + noun (religious service/sacrament/rite)

Usage Note

This sense is used almost exclusively in Christian contexts. The priest or minister 'celebrates' the service — laypeople attend or participate but do not 'celebrate' it in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1 (ENJOY AN OCCASION), where participants are taking part in the festivities, not leading them.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All of these words involve doing something special for a particular day or event, but they differ in formality and tone. 'Mark' is fairly neutral and works for both happy occasions ('mark a birthday') and serious ones ('mark the anniversary of a disaster'). 'Commemorate' is more formal and serious — it always involves remembering something significant, often from the past ('a statue commemorates the soldiers'). 'Party' as a verb is very informal and only fits fun, social celebrations ('We partied all night'). 'Celebrate' sits in the middle — it is the most common everyday word for enjoying a special occasion, but can also stretch to more formal contexts ('celebrate the festival'). For daily use, choose 'celebrate' unless you need the solemnity of 'commemorate' or the casual tone of 'party'.

markcommemorate ↗party ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in celebration of
  • something to celebrate
  • cause for celebration
  • celebrate in style

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Celebrate' comes from Latin 'celebrare' meaning 'to frequent, to honour, to make famous', based on 'celeber' ('frequent, populous, famous'). It entered English through French in the 15th century, originally with the religious sense of performing Mass. The meaning later broadened to include any public rejoicing or honouring of a notable event.