Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Abstaining from sexual intercourse: Describing a person who voluntarily refrains from sexual activity, often for religious or personal reasons.
   • Unmarried, especially for religious reasons: Describing a person who is not married, often as part of a vow or commitment.

2. Noun:

   • A person who abstains from sexual intercourse: An individual who lives without engaging in sexual relations.
   • An unmarried person bound by a vow of chastity: Specifically, a person, such as a priest, monk, or nun, who has taken a formal religious vow to remain unmarried and sexually abstinent.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • He chose to lead a celibate life after joining the monastery.
  • The order requires its members to remain celibate.
• Noun:
  • As a celibate, he dedicated his life entirely to prayer and service.
  • The rule applied to all celibates within the religious community.

Advanced Usage

• "To live a celibate life": To choose a lifestyle characterized by sexual abstinence.
  • She decided to live a celibate life for personal spiritual growth.
• "To take a vow of celibacy": To make a formal, often religious, promise to remain celibate.
  • Upon ordination, he took a vow of celibacy.

Variants and Related Words

• Celibacy (n): The state of abstaining from marriage and sexual relations.
  • The practice of celibacy is central to many monastic traditions.

Synonyms

• Chaste: Morally pure, abstaining from unlawful sexual activity.
• Abstinent: Refraining from indulging in something, especially alcohol or sex.
• Unmarried: Not married.

Antonyms

• Sexually active: Engaging in sexual activity.
• Married: Having a spouse.

Adjective

1. abstaining from sexual intercourse
   • celibate priests

Noun

1. an unmarried person who has taken a religious vow of chastity