Etymology: < classical Latin celebrātus, past participle of celebrāre celebrate v. Compare slightly later celebrate v.

Etymology: < classical Latin celebrāt-, past participial stem (see -ate suffix³) of celebrāre to crowd, to attend in large numbers, to frequent, inhabit, to observe, to honour with ceremonies, to practise, exercise, perform, to praise, extol, to talk about, discuss, to make known, to cause to be honoured, to confer distinction on < celebr- , celeber célèbre adj. Compare slightly earlier celebrate adj., and also celeber v.Foreign-language parallels. Compare Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French celebrer , French célébrer , with the chief senses: to observe (a holy day, festival, etc.) with due ceremony (c1119, originally with reference to the celebration of Easter and Christmas), to mark (a happy or significant event) by a ceremony (c1160), to perform (a religious rite) publicly and ceremoniously (1174 with reference to Mass, c1300 with reference to solemnizing a marriage), to honour (a person) (second half of the 12th cent.), to speak often about (a person) (13th cent.), to perform a religious rite publicly and ceremoniously (c1240 or earlier, frequently with reference to Mass), to hold (a church council) (1431). Compare also Old Occitan celebrar , Catalan celebrar (14th cent.), Spanish celebrar (first half of the 13th cent.), Portuguese celebrar (1344), Italian celebrare (end of the 13th cent.), and Middle Dutch celebrēren (Dutch celebreren ), German zelebrieren (a1411 as celebrieren ), Old Swedish celebrēra (Swedish celebrera ). Specific senses. With sense 1d compare Spanish celebrar un contrato (1433; > French †célébrer un contrat (1605)).