Meaning & use
celebrated
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Famous and highly respected, usually for talent or achievement over a long time.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be; often followed by for: celebrated for her wit.
Patterns
- celebrated for something
- a celebrated author
The celebrated pianist gave one last concert.
The town is celebrated for its cheese.
He wrote a celebrated novel about the sea.
Common combinations
- celebrated author
- A celebrated author signed copies.
- celebrated for
- The chef is celebrated for his sauces.
- much celebrated
- A much celebrated film opened.
- internationally celebrated
- An internationally celebrated architect spoke.
- celebrated case
- It was a celebrated case in legal history.
Synonyms and how they differ
- renowned
- Renowned is nearly the same but more formal and used for lasting fame.
- famed
- Famed is a shorter, more literary word for widely known.
- acclaimed
- Acclaimed stresses praise from critics, not just fame.
- famous
- Famous is the plain everyday word and carries less sense of earned honor.
Opposites
Word family
- celebrate verb
- to mark a happy occasion or to praise
- celebration noun
- a party or event to mark something
- celebrity noun
- a famous person
- celebrant noun
- a person who celebrates or leads a ceremony
- celebratory adjective
- marking a joyful occasion
Commonly confused: celebrated or notorious? celebrated or celebrity?
celebrated vs notorious
Notorious means famous for something bad, whereas celebrated means admired.
celebrated vs celebrity
A celebrity is a famous person, while celebrated describes someone praised for real achievement.
Practice
Which person would you call celebrated?
Choose one answer.
Celebrated means admired and famous for something good. The criminal would be notorious, not celebrated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “celebrated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.