1. A famous person.
2. Renown; fame.

[Middle English celebrite, fame, from Old French, from Latin celebritās, from celeber, celebr-, famous.]

SYNONYMS   celebrity, hero, luminary, name, notable, personage. These nouns refer to a widely known person: a social celebrity; the heroes of science; a theatrical luminary; a big name in sports; a notable of the concert stage; a personage in the field of philosophy.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.