celebratory

Etymology

It is formed from English celebrate + -ory.^[2][3] The verb is from Latin celebrātus, the past participle of celebrō (“to frequent in great numbers; to honour with ceremonies”),^[3][2] from celeber (“frequented, crowded; famous”), whose origin is unknown.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Serving to celebrate something or someone: 1809, in the European Magazine and London Review.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The adjective has kept the sense it was formed with, "serving to celebrate; of or relating to celebration".^[2][3] Its first record has moved back over time: the 1989 edition of the OED had it from 1926, Etymonline dates it to 1855, and the OED, revising the entry in 2016, found it in 1809.^[4][3][2] Merriam-Webster defines it as used or meant for marking a solemn or a festive occasion,^[5] and Wiktionary as having the manner of a celebration or forming part of one.^[1]

Timeline

• 1809 – serving to celebrate; relating to celebration.^[2] Etymonline dates the word to 1855, and the 1989 edition of the OED to 1926.^[3][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Serving to celebrate an occasion, an achievement or a person; festive: They opened a bottle for a celebratory toast after the exam results.^[5][2][1]

Related words

• celebrate
• celebration
• celebrant
• celebrity

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster