celibate

• cælibate (archaic)

From French célibat, from Latin caelibatus, perfect passive participle of caelibare, from caelebs (“unmarried”), compare German Zölibat.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛləbət/

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celibate (not comparable)

1. Not married.
2. (by extension) Abstaining from sexual relations and pleasures.

   Members of religious communities sometimes take vows to remain celibate.

• (not married): unmarried, single
• (abstaining from sex): abstinent, chaste, pure

• incel
• volcel

• celibately

celibate (plural celibates)

1. One who is not married, especially one who has taken a religious vow not to get married, usually because of being a member of a religious community.
   • 1893, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Woman, Church and State: A Historical Account of the Status of Woman Through the Christian Ages: with Reminiscences of the Matriarchate:

     Even during the ages that priestly marriage was permitted, celibates obtained a higher reputation for sanctity and virtue than married priests, who infinitely more than celibates were believed subject to infestation by demons.

2. (obsolete) A celibate state; celibacy.
   • Jeremy Taylor

     He […] preferreth holy celibate before the estate of marrige.

• volcel
• cel

celibate (third-person singular simple present celibates, present participle celibating, simple past and past participle celibated)

1. (rare) To practice celibacy

• celibacy

• friar
• monk

• cable tie, cabletie, citeable