celibate
1 of 2adjective
cel·i·bate ˈse-lə-bət 
: of, relating to, or characterized by celibacy:
a
: not engaging in or characterized by sexual intercourse
leading a celibate life
Because he regarded sex outside marriage as sinful, he remained celibate all his life.
Faith McNulty
Faith McNultyHe pursued her avidly, writing her as many as three letters a day and even offering a celibate marriage to appease her fear of sex. Ruth Franklin
Ruth FranklinI'd been celibate for so long, what was another year without sex? Sue Grafton
Sue Grafton b
: abstaining from marriage and sex especially because of a religious vow
Father Hawkins, for one, believes the priesthood would benefit from a broader mix of married and celibate priests. Daniel McGinn
Daniel McGinnI have met a few celibate monks in whom celibacy is truly a gift, a charism from which all—married or not—can learn … John Garvey
John GarveyThe Shakers, a celibate religious community, stress pacifism, equality and the communal ownership of material goods. Lyn Riddle
Lyn Riddlecelibate
2 of 2noun
plural celibates
: a person who lives in celibacy : a celibate person:
a
: an unmarried person
especially : one who abstains from marriage because of a religious vow
priestly celibates
b
: a person who abstains from sexual intercourse
… described himself as "a reluctant celibate" who had not been with a woman for four years … Janice Kennedy
Janice Kennedy
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Ben Brantley, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2016
Noun
But this ostensibly confirmed celibate oozes a gentle, undeniable sensuality. Ben Brantley, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2016 Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Latin caeleb-, caelebs "not having a spouse, unmarried" (perhaps a derivative from *kail-i- "whole," going back to Indo-European *keh2i-lo-) + -ate entry 3 — more at whole entry 1
Note: The traditional hypothesis that caelebs goes back to a compound *kai̯elo-libh- (with the first element compared to Sanskrit kevala- "exclusively oneʼs own, alone, whole" and the second to Gothic liban "to live," English live entry 1) is now considered dubious.
Noun
derivative of celibate entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
1724, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1769, in the meaning defined above
celibate
adjective
as in chaste
not engaging in sexual intercourse celibate monks and nuns They have chosen to lead celibate lives. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- chaste
- abstinent
- unmarried
- virgin
- continent
- maiden
- virginal
- innocent
- pure
- vestal
- untouched
- modest
- unwed