celibacy
/'səlibəsi/
Definition
- Noun:
- The state of abstaining from marriage and sexual relations: A voluntary personal status, often associated with religious vows or personal choice, involving refraining from sexual activity and not entering into marriage.
- The practice of remaining unmarried: The condition of being single and not having a spouse, which may or may not involve a vow of sexual abstinence.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- He took a vow of celibacy when he entered the monastery. (This describes a formal commitment to abstain from marriage and sexual relations for religious reasons.)
- Her lifelong celibacy was a personal choice, not a religious obligation. (This refers to the state of being unmarried and sexually abstinent by personal decision.)
Advanced Usage
- "Priestly celibacy": A specific term referring to the requirement for priests in some religious traditions, like Roman Catholicism, to remain unmarried and abstain from sexual relations.
- The debate over priestly celibacy continues within the church.
- "Voluntary celibacy": Emphasizes that the state is a matter of personal choice rather than external imposition.
- After his divorce, he practiced voluntary celibacy for several years.
Variants and Related Words
- Celibate (adj/n): Describing someone who practices celibacy, or a person who is celibate.
- He lived a celibate life. (Adj)
- She is a celibate. (N)
- Chastity (n): Often related, but specifically denotes sexual abstinence; celibacy typically implies both sexual abstinence and being unmarried.
Synonyms
- Abstinence: The practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something, often used in the context of sex or alcohol.
- Chastity: The state or practice of refraining from extramarital, or especially from all, sexual intercourse.
- Singleness: The state of being unmarried.
Antonyms
- Marriage: The legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship.
- Matrimony: The state of being married; marriage.
Related Phrases
- "A vow of celibacy": A solemn promise to remain celibate.
- She took a vow of celibacy as part of her spiritual path.
- "To practice celibacy": To actively live in a celibate state.
- He decided to practice celibacy while focusing on his career.
Noun
-
abstaining from sexual relations (as because of religious vows)
-
an unmarried status
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ có nhắc đến "celibacy"
