as in purity
abstention from sexual intercourse
a widower who has maintained absolute celibacy since the death of his wife
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of celibacy
Many experimented with fasting, sleep deprivation, and vegetarian diets while frequently taking vows of celibacy.
—
Jeffrey E. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
Bumble came under backlash earlier this year for advertising that positioned celibacy as a poor alternative to online dating.
—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
See all Example Sentences for celibacy 
Jeffrey E. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
Bumble came under backlash earlier this year for advertising that positioned celibacy as a poor alternative to online dating.
—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
See all Example Sentences for celibacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for celibacy
Noun
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These artifacts, which had not previously been documented in the country, were used to test the purity of gold.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2025
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But there’s another, more opaque thread among right-wing environmental beliefs, according to Jesse Bryant, a sociologist at Yale University: a yearning for a religious or pseudo-religious purity.—
Benji Jones,
Vox,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The series eschews any sort of sexuality, with even Nico’s desires getting toned down to the point of total chastity.—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
29 Jan. 2025
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The anti-erotic Christianity that Monica professed condemned the vanity of human learning and encouraged chastity.—
Mark Lilla,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Alcohol abstinence is the underlying precept of Dry January.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
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The only 100% effective way to prevent syphilis is abstinence.—
Heidi Cope,
Health,
26 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 Feb. 2025.
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