Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

celibacy

/ˈsɛləbəsi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.91 in modern English

Syllables: celiba-cy
IPA: /ˈsɛləbəsi/

17

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Abstaining from marriage; the state of being unmarried.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Abstinence from sexual relations.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"They came to believe that men, who would live a godly life, must view marriage as a sin and choose a life of celibacy."
"I could document this defense of celibacy. Unmarried women show up very well in all the tests of mental health."

Etymology

From Latin caelibātus (“celibacy, a single life”), from caelebs (“unmarried”). By surface analysis, celib(ate) + -acy.

Usage

Inflected Forms

celibacies (plural) cælibacy (alternative)

Derived Forms

anticelibacy celibacist incelibacy

Phrases

celibacy syndrome

Frequently Paired Words

celibate abstinence asexuality chaste chastity purity bachelordom

Synonyms

sexlessness chastity sexual abstention

Questions

How do you pronounce celibacy?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɛləbəsi/.
What does celibacy mean?: Abstaining from marriage; the state of being unmarried.
Where does celibacy come from?: From Latin caelibātus (“celibacy, a single life”), from caelebs (“unmarried”). By surface analysis, celib(ate) + -acy.

How to pronounce celibacy

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “celibacy”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsɛləbəsi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “celibacy”.
Repeat and practice — Say “celibacy” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.