caelibatus

state of being unmarried

1 / 1

A compact two-scene sequence depicts a man declining marriage and embracing monastic life, making celibacy recognizable through a deliberate refusal reinforced by a conventional context of voluntary abstinence.

adjective / noun

celibate

SEL-ih-but/ˈselɪbət/

Abstaining from sex, especially for religious reasons.

Etymology

celibateLatinstate of being unmarried

The adjective probably arose from a noun naming the unmarried state. That marriage-centered idea later broadened to include voluntary sexual abstinence, even without reference to marriage.

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Related word entries

celibate