celebrate: Meaning and Definition of

cel•e•brate

Pronunciation: (sel'u-brāt"), [key]
— v., -brat•ed, -brat•ing.
—v.t.
  1. to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities: to celebrate Christmas; to celebrate the success of a new play.
  2. to make known publicly; proclaim: The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.
  3. to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels: a novel celebrating the joys of marriage; the countryside celebrated in the novels of Hardy.
  4. to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize: to celebrate a marriage.
—v.i.
  1. to observe a day or commemorate an event with ceremonies or festivities.
  2. to perform a religious ceremony, esp. Mass or the Lord's Supper.
  3. to have or participate in a party, drinking spree, or uninhibited good time: You look like you were up celebrating all night.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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