What does "celebrate" mean?
Celebrate: To honor by solemn rites, by ceremonies of joy and respect, or by refraining from ordinary business; to observe duly; to keep; as, to celebrate a birthday. Fron even unto shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. Lev. xxiii.
Additional senses
- 2.3. To perforn or participate in, as a sacrament or solemn rite; to solemnize; to perform with appropriate rites; as, to celebrate a marriage. -- To Celebrate, Commemorate. We commemorate events which we desire to keep in remembrance, when we recall them by some special observace; as, to commemorate the death of our Savior. We celebrate by demonstrations of joy or solemnity or by appropriate ceremonies; as, to celebrate the birthday of our Independence. We are called upon to commemorate a revolution as surprising in its manner as happy in its consequences. Atterbury. Earth, water, air, and fire, with feeling glee, Exult to celebrate thy festival. Thomson.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00