Celibate
/ˈsɛl.ɪ.bət/noun
Abstaining from marriage and sexual relations, especially for religious reasons.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin caelibatus, tied to caelib- meaning “unmarried,” and it entered English through church Latin, where abstinence became a formal spiritual identity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*koi-l-
“A reconstructed root associated with being single or alone (etymological base behind Latin caelib-).”
Classical Latin
Latin
caelebs
“Unmarried, single, or not in wedlock.”
Late Latin
Latin
caelibatus
“The state of being unmarried; celibacy as a condition.”
Old French
Old French
celibat
“Unmarried condition; abstinence from marriage.”
Middle English
English
celibat
“The state of being unmarried, especially in a religious sense.”
Modern English
English
celibate
“Abstaining from marriage and sexual activity, especially for religious reasons.”