celibacy
Americannoun
-
abstention from sexual relations.
-
abstention by vow from marriage.
the celibacy of priests.
-
the state of being unmarried.
Other Word Forms
- celibatic adjective
Etymology
Origin of celibacy
First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin caelibā(tus) “celibacy” ( caelib-, stem of caelebs “single” + -ātus -ate 3 ) + -cy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The mandatory celibacy aside, preserving my fertility at 35 and pondering what it meant for prospective partners had clouded my usual fervor.
From Los Angeles Times
Driven to the edge of her mind with grief, Ann reconciles her misery with a vow of celibacy.
From Salon
Under the Church's by-laws, only monks who took a vow of celibacy can be elected a Catholicos.
From BBC
It’s unsurprising then that Febos discovered that nuns were some of the first women to find freedom in celibacy.
From Los Angeles Times
Additionally, online users said that the ads emphasized the very reasons why their celibacy was important to them.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
