celibate

adjective
UK: /ˈsel.ɪ.bət/
US: /ˈsel.ə.bət/

  1. Not married and not having sex, especially for religious reasons.

    1. He chose to remain celibate after becoming a monk.
    2. The priest took a vow to remain celibate his entire life, forsaking marriage.

  2. Relating to or characterized by abstinence from sexual relations; unmarried.

    1. Celibate life can be difficult for some people to maintain.
    2. A celibate lifestyle may appeal to those seeking spiritual enlightenment.

Synonyms

unmarried chaste
celibate noun

  1. A person who chooses not to marry and have sexual relations, especially for religious reasons.

    1. He is a celibate because of his religious vows.
    2. She became a celibate after dedicating her life to the church.
celibate intransitive-verb

  1. To abstain from sexual relations; to choose to remain unmarried and without sexual activity.

    1. He decided to celibate because of his beliefs.
    2. Some people choose to celibate to focus on their spiritual path.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "celibate" in English means: Not married and not having sex, especially for religious reasons., Relating to or characterized by abstinence from sexual relations; unmarried..

The phonetic transcription of "celibate" is /ˈsel.ɪ.bət/ in British English and /ˈsel.ə.bət/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "celibate": unmarried, chaste.

Example usage of "celibate": "He chose to remain celibate after becoming a monk.". More examples on the page.