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Origin and history of celebrity

celebrity(n.)

late 14c., "solemn rite or ceremony," from Old French celebrité "celebration" or directly from Latin celibritatem (nominative celebritas) "multitude, fame," from celeber "frequented, populous" (see celebrate). The meaning "condition of being famous" is from c. 1600; that of "a famous person" is from 1849.

When the old gods withdraw, the empty thrones cry out for a successor, and with good management, or even without management, almost any perishable bag of bones may be hoisted into the vacant seat. [E.R. Dodds, "The Greeks and the Irrational"]

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to celebrity

celebrate(v.)

mid-15c., "to perform publicly with appropriate rites," originally of the Mass, from Latin celebratus "much-frequented; kept solemn; famous," past participle of celebrare "assemble to honor," also "to publish; sing praises of; practice often," originally "to frequent in great numbers," from celeber "frequented, populous, crowded;" with transferred senses of "well-attended; famous; often-repeated." Its etymology is unknown.

General sense of "commemorate or honor with demonstrations of joy" is from 1550s; formerly it also could be with demonstrations of sorrow or regret. Meaning "make widely known, praise, glorify" is from 1610s. Related: Celebrated; celebrating.

celeb(n.)

colloquial shortening of celebrity "celebrated person," by 1908, American English.

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    fame
    early 13c., "character attributed to someone;" late 13c., "celebrity, renown," from Old French fame "fame, reputation, renown, rumor" (12c.), from Latin fama "talk, rumor, report; reputation, public opinion; renown, good reputation," but also "ill-fame, scandal, reproach" (from P
    renown
    c. 1300, renoun, "fame or glory attaching to a person, place, etc.; reputation," especially good reputation, "state of having an exalted name," from Anglo-French renoun, Old French renon "renown, fame, reputation," from renomer "make famous," from re-, here perhaps "repeatedly" (
    clarity
    clarté) "clarity, brightness," from Latin claritas "brightness, splendor," also, of sounds, "clearness;" figuratively "celebrity...
    dignify
    From mid-15c. as "confer honor upon, give celebrity to, make illustrious." Related: Dignified; dignifying....
    hoagie
    be named for Big Band songwriter Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (1899-1981), but the use of the word pre-dates his celebrity...
    gorgonzola
    Visconti, in 1278, and which the latter revenged in 1281; but above all, famous for its strachino a cheese of European celebrity...
    notice
    "information, knowledge, intelligence," from Old French notece (14c.), and directly from Latin notitia "a being known, celebrity...
    immortal
    late 14c., "deathless," from Latin immortalis "deathless, undying" (of gods), "imperishable, endless" (of fame, love, work, etc.), from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + mortalis "mortal" (from PIE root *mer- "to rub away, harm," also "to die" and forming
    personage
    mid-15c., "body of a person" (with regard to appearance), also "notable person, a man or woman of high rank or distinction," from Old French personage "size, stature," also "a dignitary" (13c.), from Medieval Latin personaticum (11c.), from Latin persona (see person). As a longer
    honor
    c. 1200, onur, "glory, renown, fame earned," from Anglo-French honour, Old French onor, honor "honor, dignity, distinction, position; victory, triumph" (Modern French honneur), from Latin honorem (nominative honos, the form used by Cicero, but later honor) "honor, dignity, office

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