as in purity
abstention from sexual intercourse
a widower who has maintained absolute celibacy since the death of his wife
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Recent Examples of celibacy
Bumble came under backlash earlier this year for advertising that positioned celibacy as a poor alternative to online dating.
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Karoline Leonard, Austin American-Statesman, 7 Dec. 2024
They are immediately attracted to each other, but Jeffrey had made up his mind regarding his celibacy.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024
Their founding leader, an Englishwoman named Ann Lee, preached Quaker ideals, like pacifism and gender equality, but added collective ownership, a work ethic to embarrass Balzac, and, trickiest of all for a utopia trying to grow, celibacy.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Their spinsterhood took on an ominous cast, their celibacy no longer evidence of pure, Christian love, but now suggestive of physical, emotional, and intellectual degeneracy.
—Natalie Kinkade, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for celibacy 
Karoline Leonard, Austin American-Statesman, 7 Dec. 2024
They are immediately attracted to each other, but Jeffrey had made up his mind regarding his celibacy.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024
Their founding leader, an Englishwoman named Ann Lee, preached Quaker ideals, like pacifism and gender equality, but added collective ownership, a work ethic to embarrass Balzac, and, trickiest of all for a utopia trying to grow, celibacy.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Their spinsterhood took on an ominous cast, their celibacy no longer evidence of pure, Christian love, but now suggestive of physical, emotional, and intellectual degeneracy.
—Natalie Kinkade, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for celibacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for celibacy
Noun
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On the palate, the wine exhibits exceptions intensity, texture, purity and dull bodied finish with velvety, but noticeable tannins.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
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Plus, it’s tested for purity and potency by third-party labs.April Benshosan, Glamour, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Related Stories Robin Williams, who apparently has taken a vow of comic chastity since winning his Good Will Hunting Oscar, plays the robot who wants to be a man.Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
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The disagreement surfaced in April 2023 after Olson accused their Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach of breaking her chastity vows by having an online love affair with Father Philip Johnson, a former priest from the diocese in Raleigh, N.C., per Chron.Charna Flam, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Researchers in the Netherlands documented the biochemical effects of one month of alcohol abstinence in a small study.Malaka Gharib, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
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What To Know Conducted by the University of Michigan, the survey revealed that two-thirds of 12th graders reported abstaining from alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the past 30 days—the highest level of abstinence since 2017, when the metric was first tracked.Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near celibacy
Cite this Entry
“Celibacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/celibacy. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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