celebrity

[ suh-leb-ri-tee ]

noun

, plural ce·leb·ri·ties

1. a famous or well-known person.
2. fame; renown.

   Synonyms: stardom, eminence, note, distinction

celebrity

/ sɪˈlɛbrɪtɪ /

noun

1. a famous person

   a show-business celebrity

2. fame or notoriety

Other Words From

• nonce·lebri·ty noun plural noncelebrities

Word History and Origins

Origin of celebrity¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin celebritās multitude, fame, festal celebration, equivalent to celebr- (stem of celeber ) often repeated, famous + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

In the last several weeks, authorities banned performances by China’s most famous transgender celebrity, Jin Xing, which some suspected was due to her featuring a rainbow flag in a previous show.

From Los Angeles Times

He follows in the footsteps of a host of celebrity grand marshals including Bob Hope, Olivia Newton-John, William Shatner and Magic Johnson.

From Los Angeles Times

"We always have the conversation, but what we didn't want was that celebrity to overtake the story."

From BBC

The celebrity news outlet reports that there were no other contributing factors to his death, per the document.

From Salon

Drew Barrymore is oft acknowledged as being a likable, endearing celebrity who we've watched on screen since her childhood roles in various classic movies, but her talk show hosting and interviewing style has often been joked about or called into question, with some even describing it as "cringey."

From Salon

Related Words

• figure
• hero
• luminary
• personage
• personality
• someone
• star
• superstar