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Definitions

celibacy

[sel-uh-buh-see] / ˈsɛl ə bə si /
NOUN
abstinence from sexual activity
Synonyms
Antonyms
WEAK
promiscuousness


Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

The ecstasies of attraction are sublimated into their long conversations about Boethius and Hildegard von Bingen, or about the suddenly debatable issues of contraception and clerical celibacy.

From The Wall Street Journal May 8, 2026

As Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker movement that preached celibacy as a form of divine contact, Amanda Seyfried approaches a career-defining role with stunning nerve.

From Salon Dec. 5, 2025

Now that I’ve had some distance from it and can look at it more objectively, I’m finding that people in these testimonials change their behavior, enter into mixed-orientation marriages, or choose celibacy.

From Slate Oct. 14, 2025

Under the Church's by-laws, only monks who took a vow of celibacy can be elected a Catholicos.

From BBC Jun. 19, 2025

One contemporary critic described Les Noces as 'enough to convert intending brides and bridegrooms to celibacy’.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall




Vocabulary lists containing celibacy


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