Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of celibate
In 1807, the Harmonists took a vow to remain celibate, which required them to build more community houses as the number of unwed society members grew.
—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
30 Dec. 2025
And Shakers are celibate – one of the practices that most startled their neighbors in 18th- and 19th-century America.
—
Christian Goodwillie,
The Conversation,
22 Dec. 2025
And celibacy, as Christ was celibate.
—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
For many traditionalists, effective enforcement of this teaching would mean cracking down on homosexuality among the clergy, including gay clergy who are celibate and chaste.
—
Massimo Faggioli,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Oct. 2018
See All Example Sentences for celibate
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
30 Dec. 2025
And Shakers are celibate – one of the practices that most startled their neighbors in 18th- and 19th-century America.
—
Christian Goodwillie,
The Conversation,
22 Dec. 2025
And celibacy, as Christ was celibate.
—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
For many traditionalists, effective enforcement of this teaching would mean cracking down on homosexuality among the clergy, including gay clergy who are celibate and chaste.
—
Massimo Faggioli,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Oct. 2018
See All Example Sentences for celibate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for celibate
Adjective
-
Then there was the rather chaste kiss on Evans’s show late last year.
-
Deadhead your chaste tree in late winter to promote flowering in the spring and summer months.
Adjective
-
One of the sacrifices Dolan mentioned in his speech was staying abstinent.
-
Like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is a day where Catholics are obliged to fast and stay abstinent throughout the day until midnight.
Adjective
-
To claim Head of Household (HOH), the taxpayer generally must be unmarried (single, legally separated, divorced, or widowed) or be considered unmarried, pay more than half the cost of maintaining the home, and have a qualifying person.
-
While church policies emphasized that unmarried women had the right to keep their children and the children had a right to remain with their mothers, staff often ignored this guidance and worked closely with adoption agencies, researchers found.
Adjective
-
Sam neglects the standards of his profession to protect women who Cady could hurt, especially someone like Sam’s virginal teen daughter, Dani.
-
Brides were expected, in most cultures at various points in history, to be virginal, pure and dedicated to their husbands.
Adjective
-
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
-
That law predates the much wider United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which took effect in 1994, giving ships the right of innocent passage through any country's territorial waters without paying a fee.
Adjective
-
Achieving and verifying high-purity output from secondary feedstocks, rather than virgin mined ore, is a technically demanding problem that has limited the domestic recycling sector for years.
-
In reaching their first World Cup (which expanded from 32 to 48 participating nations this year), Curaçao has been able to showcase its colorful culture, touristic offerings and sporting potential to a largely virgin audience.
Cite this Entry
“Celibate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/celibate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
