celebrity, n.
Forms:
lME celebrete, lME–15 celebrite, 15–16 celebritie, 15– celebrity. (Show Less)
Origin: A borrowing from Latin. Etymons: Latin celebritāt-, celebritās.
Etymology: < classical Latin celebritāt-, celebritās state of being busy or crowded, festival, games or other celebration characterized by crowded conditions, reputation, renown, fame, frequency or commonness, in post-classical Latin also Christian festival (5th cent.), action of celebrating the Eucharist (6th cent.) < celebr- , celeber célèbre adj. + -itās -ity suffix. Compare Middle French celebrité , French célébrité ceremony, celebration (14th cent.), fame, renown (a1517), famous person (1831: see note). Compare also Spanish celebridad (1490), Italian celebrità (a1438; second half of the 13th cent. as †celebritate ). With sense 3 compare earlier celebration n. 1.
In sense 1b probably after French célébrité; use in French is first attested (in Balzac) in the same year as in English, but quot. 1831 at sense 1b is from an article entitled ‘The Aristocracy in France’ in which a number of French terms occur in either naturalized or unnaturalized form, and it seems likely that celebrities here also reflects French usage.
1.
a. The state or fact of being well known, widely discussed, or publicly esteemed. Later usually: personal fame or renown as manifested in (and determined by) public interest and media attention.In early use frequently synonymous with fame, but later often distinguished as referring to a more ephemeral condition (cf., e.g., quot. 1863), or as associated with popular as opposed to high culture (see quot. 1997).
?c1400
(▸c1380)
Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos.
(BL Add. 10340)
(1868)
iii. pr. ix. l. 2308
What demest þou þan..þat is ryȝt clere and ryȝt noble of celebrete of renoun [L. omni celebritate]?
c1450
(▸1410)
J. Walton tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos.
(Linc. Cathedral 103)
164 (MED)
Myght it be conuenient Þat þis þing schulde..ben a noble þing of name And hyhe in clernesse and celebrite?
1565 J. Jewel Replie Hardinges Answeare ii. ix. 114
They Baptized in the name of Iesus Chiste Onely, intendinge thereby to make that to be of more fame and celebritie.
a1600 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie vii. viii, in Wks.
(1662)
22
The dignity and celebrity of..Mother-cities should be respected.
1652 G. Wharton tr. J. Rothmann Κειρομαντία: Art of Divining 139
This will Amplify the Celebrity of your Name and Learning in the Courts of Princes and Noble-Men.
1738 J. Ozell tr. G. Mayáns y Siscár Life Cervantes 23
One of the best Proofs of the Celebrity of any Book, is the quick Sale of it.
1751 Johnson Rambler No. 165. ⁋6
I did not find myself yet enriched in proportion to my celebrity.
1838 T. Arnold Hist. Rome I. 332
Recommended to public notice by the celebrity of their family.
1863 M. Arnold in Macmillan's Mag. 7 Jan. 255
They [sc. Spinoza's successors] had celebrity, Spinoza has fame.
1916 Econ. Jrnl. 26 403
He was President of the Society..at the second heyday of its celebrity and influence.
1964 C. D. O'Malley Andreas Vesalius of Brussels iv. 51
He acquired some celebrity because of his more highly developed technique in dissection.
1997 Chicago Tribune 6 Apr. xiv. 5/2
She wishes not for fame but for its mass-culture cousin, celebrity.
2011 Independent 29 Nov. 19/2
Ms Dell'Olio was known for years only as the..girlfriend of the England football manager,..but her celebrity was fast-tracked by her appearance on this year's Strictly Come Dancing.
?c1400—2011(Hide quotations)
b. A well-known or famous person; (now chiefly) spec. a person, esp. in entertainment or sport, who attracts interest from the general public and attention from the mass media.
1831 New Monthly Mag. Aug. 177
How will the new Chamber be composed? Of mayors, and notaries, and village celebrities.
1856 R. W. Emerson Eng. Traits xi. 195
One of the celebrities of wealth and fashion, confessed..that [etc.].
1876 C. M. Davies Unorthodox London
(rev. ed.)
99
Thronged with the spiritual celebrities of London.
1923 Atlanta
(Georgia)
Constit. 3 June a13/8
An array of radio celebrities whose names are by-words with thousands of radio fans in America.
1956 H. Miller Devil in Paradise i. 3
There was the thrill of listening to personal anecdotes about celebrities whom I knew only through books.
1976 National Observer
(U.S.)
28 Feb. 16/2
The kid was a local celebrity.
1996 Guardian
(Nexis)
14 Sept. 18
Like other contemporary celebrities including Princess Diana and Terry Venables, Oasis tried to control their media image by a careful flow of exclusive spin.
2011 Wall St. Jrnl. 22 Jan. a10/6
The paper's use..of private investigators to obtain personal information about celebrities, politicians and other public figures.
1831—2011(Hide quotations)
†2. Observance of ritual or special formality on an important occasion; pomp, ceremony. Obs.
c1425 Bk. Found. St. Bartholomew's
(1923)
35 (MED)
The goldyne path of the son, reducid to vs the desirid ioyes of festfull celebrite.
1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1717/1
The triumphant passage and honorable entertainment of the said our most dread Soueraigne, through the City of London, with suche celebrity, prayers, wishes, welcomminges, cries..as the lyke hathe not commonly bene sene.
a1613 E. Brerewood Enq. Langs. & Relig.
(1614)
Pref. sig. ¶2v
Their Generall Synods..they haue frequently held with great celebritie.
1631 J. Weever Anc. Funerall Monuments 585
Whose body..was remoued with all celebritie, and enshrined.
1700 R. Brady Contin. Compl. Hist. Eng. 101
Then the King..was Married to Isabel, Daughter of Philip the Fair King of France, at Bologne, with wonderful Pomp and Celebrity.
a1788 J. Gast Hist. Greece
(1793)
I. ii. 136
These games were held at the end of four years complete, with great celebrity and pomp.
1838 Monthly Rev. May 114
Charles the Second..followed the same course on his coronation..with the view of adding pomp and celebrity to the restoration.
c1425—1838(Hide quotations)
†3. An act of celebrating something; a rite, a ceremony; a celebration. Obs.
1534 W. Marshall tr. Erasmus Playne & Godly Expos. Commune Crede vi. f. 161v
In the olde tyme in many congregations they fasted on the saterdayes, to thende that they myght come with more clene myndes vnto the celebrite of the sonday or the lordes day.
?1572 T. Palfreyman tr. U. Zwingli in Paraphr. Epist. S. Paule f. 71
He did once institute the celebritie of the deliueraunce out of the Egyptiacall bondage.
1609 P. Holland Chronol. in tr. A. Marcellinus Rom. Hist. sig. C iv a
As touching this celebrity of Sports, see Capitolinus.
1640 Bp. J. Hall Christian Moderation i. 38
Small cheare in comparison of that which he prepared for the celebrity of his son Isaacs weaning.
1655 H. L'Estrange Reign King Charles 6
The celebrities of his Fathers Funerall would be over.
1661 S. Stone
(title)
Sermon at St. Paul's, 20 Oct... At the first Celebrity of Divine Service with the Organ and Choristers.
1720 Delphick Oracle 30 Mar. 39
Gentile Persecution..was most severe against such Celebrities instituted by Christians to the Overthrow and Contempt of gentile Worship.
1744 T. Warton Hist. Eng. Poetry II. xvi. 379
It was found necessary to restrain these Christmas celebrities to a more rational and sober plan.
1774 J. Bryant New Syst. I. 61
It generally shewed itself at times, when a celebrity was held.
1829 W. Jones Sermons l. 571
The feet are also disposed to dance..as was the custom in sacred celebrities of old among the people of God.
1534—1829(Hide quotations)
Compounds
C1.
a.
(a) General attrib. (in sense 1).Some of the more established compounds of this type are treated separately.
1885 Temple Bar June 255
No, Messieurs les artistes peintres, I think you place your celebrity-crush at the wrong end of your show.
1921 Musical Times Dec. 867/1
Plymouth Orpheus Male Choir..has already appeared three times this season at the ‘celebrity concerts’.
1949 N. Coward Diary 10 Aug.
(2000)
131
I performed very well and everyone seemed genuinely impressed... The percentage of ‘looks’ and ‘celebrity value’ was high.
1963 Times 2 Feb. 9/3
Any middle-aged Mancunian..can remember posters drawing attention to celebrity concerts.
1992 New Republic 3 Aug. 23/1
[The] book, first published in June, created a publicity storm unprecedented even for naughty, tell-all celebrity biographies.
2001 Book Nov. 57/2
Johnson apparently sees little more to contemporary pop culture than celebrity worship run amok.
1885—2001(Hide quotations)
(b)
celebrity culture n.
1951 N.Y. Times 18 May 25/4
‘The Celebrity’ is a fictional study of what Mrs. Hobson calls ‘our celebrity culture’.
1983 K. Dryden Game 26
Beyond the team, beyond the celebrity culture we inhabit, we have few roots here.
2009 Esquire Mar. 131/2
In our celebrity culture,..millionaire stars hawk their wedding photos for yet more cash.
1951—2009(Hide quotations)
celebrity status n.
1918 Dogdom Dec. 433/1
One of these well-meaners but non-knowers, who had acquired a collie of a somewhat celebrity status.
1979 H. J. Gans Deciding what's News iv. 125
Television news can call on anchorpersons whose celebrity status gives them instant entrée to famous, powerful, and prestigious people.
2008 D. Thompson $12 Million Stuffed Shark 79
Celebrity status can be achieved through marketing and resulting well-knownness as well as through professional skill.
1918—2008(Hide quotations)
b. attrib., designating a person of a specified profession who is well known for working with or for celebrities, or who has become a celebrity on account of his or her work.Some of the more established compounds of this type are treated separately: see celebrity chef n. at Compounds 3, celebrity novelist n. at Compounds 3.
1946 Times Pict.
(Dublin)
5 Oct. 2/6
Miss Patricia Devine..takes down the photograph—the work of Canada's celebrity photographer, Karsh.
1954 Washington Post 27 Sept. 22/3
(advt.)
Consult Miss Whalin, celebrity stylist, to ‘round out’ your figure.
1987 Guardian 4 Apr. 31/4
Gardeners' Question Time 40th anniversary edition with celebrity gardeners asking the questions.
1994 Sunday Times 6 Mar. x. 3/1
Being shot by..the world's best-known celebrity photographer, was a daunting prospect for Suede: ‘We'd never worked with anyone as famous as him.’
2010 Daily Tel.
(Nexis)
19 Oct. 27
Celebrity scientist Brian Cox and his theoretician colleague Jeff Forshaw take us back to basics.
2013 N.Y. Times
(National ed.)
14 May a2/3
He was the coiffurist of choice for first ladies, foreign royalty, movie stars, and a new generation of career women and was often called the first celebrity hairdresser.
1946—2013(Hide quotations)
C2. Instrumental.
celebrity-obsessed adj.
1968 Sat. Rev.
(U.S.)
16 Mar. 81/1
The danger is that, in a celebrity-obsessed city with its fast-traveling grapevine, the educational jet set may become too powerful a cadre to permit the schools to retain a combination of quality and simplicity.
1989 N.Y. Times 11 Sept. c 20/3
With his paintings and prints fetching record prices at auctions these days, the artist has automatically been thrust into the highest celebrity circles of this celebrity-obsessed age.
2004 Independent 28 Sept. 3/3
Experts say the top brands have revived profits by broadening their ranges to appeal to a younger, celebrity-obsessed market which wants A-list glamour for a fraction on the cost.
1968—2004(Hide quotations)
celebrity-studded adj.
1934 Oakland
(Calif.)
Tribune 29 June (Sports section) 35/3
The movie colony [cricket] team, whose celebrity-studded roster includes the name of Desmond Roberts, Babe Ruth of American cricket, will engage two San Francisco clubs next Sunday and Monday.
1976 Newsweek
(Nexis)
3 May 78
[They] went out to a celebrity-studded dinner.
2004 Chicago Tribune
(Midwest ed.)
11 Jan. iv. 8/4
The National Design Awards raised more than $500,000 at a celebrity-studded event at which flybys from the fashion world..gave new impetus to the museum's ambitious plans.
1934—2004(Hide quotations)
C3.
celebrity chef n. a chef who cooks for celebrities; (now chiefly) a chef who has become a celebrity, esp. through coverage or participation in print or broadcast media.
1941 Brownsville
(Texas)
Herald 1 Apr. 6/7
Charles O. Burleigh, former celebrity chef of Western Air Lines, and his wife..liked Brownsville so well that they immediately decided to buy a home here.
1981 Washington Post 20 Sept. (Food section) l. 1
24 celebrity chefs spent the morning grilling ribs and chicken.
2008 Daily Tel. 29 Jan. 8/2
The celebrity chef..denounces battery-farmed poultry in his television series.
1941—2008(Hide quotations)
celebrity endorsement n. an instance of a celebrity endorsing or recommending a particular product, service, etc.; (also) marketing or advertising which uses such endorsements.
1930 Portsmouth
(Ohio)
Sunday Times 29 June 4/3
Some things I'd like to see... A cigarette ad. without a celebrity endorsement.
1977 N.Y. Mag. 12 Sept. 15/3
Bella Abzug attracts press coverage for the quality of her celebrity endorsements.
2000 Internat. Jrnl. Advertising 19 42
[He] is..currently undertaking doctoral research into celebrity endorsement as a communications strategy.
1930—2000(Hide quotations)
celebrity gossip n. gossip about celebrities, esp. when reported in the media.
1937 Chicago Defender 9 Oct. 9/5
Some ambitious newspaper commentator..departing from his usual journalistic repertoire of publicity-inspired ‘celebrity’ gossip.
1972 Estherville
(Iowa)
Daily News 26 July 7/3
[She is] thrilled at the prospect of hearing celebrity gossip from a Hollywood insider.
2013 New Yorker 23 Sept. 74/3
We believe that a partner-track attorney can be passionate about world affairs and celebrity gossip.
1937—2013(Hide quotations)
celebrity guest n. a celebrity who makes a guest appearance at an event or (now esp.) on a television or radio programme, podcast, etc.
1936 Washington Post 5 Aug. x. 14/1
Celebrity guests for the occasion will be George Olson and Ethel Shutta.
1991 Woodlands
(Texas)
Sun 14 Nov. b8/1
Radio host Jon Mathews and KPRC TV weatherman Dave Dickson are celebrity guests.
2013 Radio Times
(South/West ed.)
7 Dec. 116/2
Graham brings together another group of celebrity guests to cosy up on his settee and chat about their latest projects.
1936—2013(Hide quotations)
celebrity magazine n. a magazine containing articles on, and photographs of, celebrities.
1931 Ames
(Iowa)
Daily Tribune-Times 2 Sept. 7/1
(advt.)
Celebrity Magazine.
1976 Herald-Times-Reporter
(Manitowoc, Wisconsin)
3 Feb. 11/4
She can..start living as gaudily as those Hollywood stars featured in the celebrity magazines.
2010 Independent 18 Nov. (Viewspaper section) 4/4
The same public that complains about US influence on British politics buys celebrity magazines by the shedload.
1931—2010(Hide quotations)
celebrity novel n. (a) a novel about a celebrity; (b) a novel written by or published under the name of a celebrity, and (typically) expected to sell on the strength of the celebrity's fame.
1969 N.Y. Times 23 Nov. 68 br
Here is something slightly new: not a book about a TV performer, but a book about a book about a TV performer. Mr. Stanley's nimble take-off is a happy antidote to the lumbering horde of heavy-breath-taking celebrity novels.
1977 Washington Post 24 Feb. d4/2
It helps, for example, to have a widely recognized name resulting in what Patrick Anderson calls ‘the celebrity novel’.
2014 Independent
(Nexis)
11 Apr. 38
It was..only the latest in a growing line of celebrity novels which no one bothers to pretend are anything more than fodder for the chat-show circuit.
1969—2014(Hide quotations)
celebrity novelist n. (a) a celebrity who publishes a novel (cf. celebrity novel n. (b)); (b) a novelist who has become a celebrity.
1963 Commentary July 57/1
A quick question to a celebrity novelist at the airport.
1986 Chicago Tribune 1 June (Book World section) 40/2
Celebrity novelists such as John Ehrlichman and Carroll Baker..seemed to be offering both autobiography and fiction.
1994 Times 1 Apr. 33/1
A Thatcher novel would be everyone's dream. You can hardly think of a better celebrity novelist.
2000 Wells Jrnl.
(Electronic ed.)
21 Sept.
It started with a guest appearance of celebrity novelist Jane Rogers, who has had one of her novels, Mr Wroe's Virgins, recently adapted for television.
2013 Times
(Nexis)
30 June 52
I make scathingly sarcastic remarks to celebrity novelists about their ghostwriters.
1963—2013(Hide quotations)
Derivatives
ceˈlebritydom n. the world of celebrities; celebrities collectively; (also) the status or condition of being a celebrity.
1949 Wisconsin State Jrnl. 8 July 5/2
DiMaggio's perhaps the most modest celebrity..in celebritydom.
1979 Washington Post 2 Mar. (Weekend section) 21/2
An honored writer and the wife of a British archeologist,..she preferred to conduct it [sc. her life] out of the glare of celebritydom.
2010 N. Kent Apathy for Devil 128
Fame and celebritydom have long been the proverbial kiss of death for creative writers.
1949—2010(Hide quotations)
ceˈlebrityhood n. the status or condition of being a celebrity.
1951 W. Pickles Sometime Never vi. 88
I wonder how many of those who have been modelled [in Tussauds] have experienced not only the needs of vanity but the most sobering reminder of the transience of celebrityhood.
1980 Washington Post 19 Apr. a 2/1
His celebrityhood is a quality that evokes in people not only admiration but also empathy.
2007 Daily Tel. 21 Sept. 24/5
The Priory Hospital in Roehampton, where the gilded myths of celebrityhood are laid bare and the clinical roll-call reads like a night at the Baftas.
1951—2007(Hide quotations)