celibate (redirected from celibates)

cel·i·bate  (sl-bt)

n.

1. One who abstains from sexual intercourse, especially by reason of religious vows.

2. One who is unmarried.

adj.

1. Abstaining from sexual intercourse, especially by reason of religious vows.

2. Unmarried; unwed.

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[Latin caelibtus, from caelebs, caelib-, unmarried.]

Usage Note: Historically, celibate means only "unmarried"; its use to mean "abstaining from sexual intercourse" is a 20th-century development. But the new sense of the word seems to have displaced the old, and the use of celibate to mean "unmarried" is now almost sure to invite misinterpretation in other than narrowly ecclesiastical contexts. Sixty-eight percent of the Usage Panel rejected the older use in the sentence He remained celibate [unmarried], although he engaged in sexual intercourse.

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celibate [ˈsɛlɪbɪt]

n

a person who is unmarried, esp one who has taken a religious vow of chastity

adj

1. unmarried, esp by vow

2. abstaining from sexual intercourse

[from Latin caelibātus, from caelebs unmarried, of obscure origin]

celibacy  n

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	celibate - an unmarried person who has taken a religious vow of chastity religious person - a person who manifests devotion to a deity
Adj.	1.	celibate - abstaining from sexual intercourse; "celibate priests" continent chaste - morally pure (especially not having experienced sexual intercourse); "a holy woman innocent and chaste"

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celibate

adjective chaste, single, pure, virgin, continent He found it hard to adapt to the celibate life of a monk.

Translations

celibate [ˈselɪbɪt]

A. ADJ → célibe

B. N → célibe mf

celibate [ˈsɛlɪbət]

adj

[life, priest] → célibataire
to remain celibate → rester célibataire

[lay person] → chaste

n → personne f qui n'a pas de rapports sexuels

celibate

adj (Rel) → keusch, zölibatär (spec); (fig) → enthaltsam

n to be a celibate → im Zölibat leben

celibate [ˈsɛlɪbɪt] adj & n (man) → celibe (m); (woman) → nubile (f)

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celibate [ˈsɛlɪbɪt] adj & n (man) → celibe (m); (woman) → nubile (f)