Celebrates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To express joy and appreciation for a momentous occasion or person through festivities and activities
2. To officially honor or recognize an important event or individual by engaging in celebratory activities and expressions of joy
3. To honor a significant date or achievement by engaging in joyful festivities and expressions of appreciation for a person or event

Etymology: "Celebrates" is the third-person singular form of "celebrate," so the history belongs to the verb. The Latin root "celeber" meant "frequented" or "populous," describing a place crowded with people. Its derivative "celebrō" then took on the sense of going to something in great numbers, which led to attending a festival, and from there to honoring an occasion with a gathering. English got the verb in Middle English, borrowed from the Latin past participle "celebrātus" and given the English ending "-en." Before this, English had its own native verbs for rejoicing, "fæġnian" and "frēolsian," and those were displaced by the Latin borrowing. The surprising part is that the original idea was about crowds rather than joy: to celebrate something was first to fill it with people.

Synonyms: commemorates, observes, marks, fetes, honors

Antonyms: mourns, disregards, neglects, overlooks, condemns