celibate

celibate
/sel"euh bit, -bayt'/, n.
1. a person who abstains from sexual relations.
2. a person who remains unmarried, esp. for religious reasons.
adj.
3. observing or pertaining to sexual abstention or a religious vow not to marry.
4. not married.
[1605-15; < L caelib- (s. of caelebs) unmarried + -ATE1]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Celibate — Cel i*bate, n. [L. aelibatus, fr. caelebs unmarried, single.] 1. Celibate state; celibacy. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] He . . . preferreth holy celibate before the estate of marriage. Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster] 2. One who is unmarried, esp. a bachelor …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Celibate — Cel i*bate, a. Unmarried; single; as, a celibate state. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • celibate — ► ADJECTIVE 1) abstaining from marriage and sexual relations for religious reasons. 2) having or involving no sexual relations. ► NOUN ▪ a person who is celibate. DERIVATIVES celibacy noun. ORIGIN from Latin caelibatus unmarried state …   English terms dictionary

  • celibate — index solitary Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • celibate — 1610s (n.) state of celibacy, from Fr. célibat (16c.), from L. caelibatus (see CELIBACY (Cf. celibacy)). The adj. meaning unmarried, sworn to remain single is recorded from 1829. As a noun, one who is sworn to such a condition, from 1869 …   Etymology dictionary

  • celibate — adj *unmarried, single, virgin, maiden …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • celibate — [adj] abstaining from sexual activity chaste, continent, pure, virgin, virginal, virtuous; concept 372 Ant. active, promiscuous …   New thesaurus

  • celibate — [sel′ə bət] n. [L caelibatus < caelebs, unmarried (< IE base * kaiwelo , alone) + * lib(h)s , living (> LIVE2)] 1. an unmarried person, esp. one under a vow to remain unmarried 2. one who abstains from sexual intercourse adj. of or in a… …   English World dictionary

  • celibate — [[t]se̱lɪbət[/t]] celibates 1) ADJ Someone who is celibate does not marry or have sex, because of their religious beliefs. The Pope bluntly told the world s priests yesterday to stay celibate. N COUNT A celibate is someone who is celibate. 2) ADJ …   English dictionary

  • celibate — UK [ˈseləbət] / US adjective a) not having sex b) never having sex, often because of religious beliefs Derived word: celibate UK / US noun countable Word forms celibate : singular celibate plural celibates …   English dictionary

  • celibate — cel|i|bate [ˈselıbət] adj [Date: 1800 1900; : Latin; Origin: caelibatus, from caelebs unmarried ] not married and not having sex, especially because of your religious beliefs →↑virgin ▪ Catholic priests are required to be celibate. >celibate n …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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