Not married and not having sexual relations; choosing to remain unmarried, especially for religious reasons.
From Latin 'caelibatus' (unmarried), possibly from 'caelebs' (unmarried). The meaning has remained consistent since the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church required clergy to be celibate.
The Catholic Church's celibacy rule for priests began as a practical measure (to prevent Church property from going to heirs) but became a spiritual requirement, and it remains one of Catholicism's most debated rules today.
Celibacy in religious contexts was historically imposed on women religious with fewer legal protections and exit routes than male clergy; women's celibacy was often framed as sacrificial duty while male celibacy was valorized as spiritual discipline.
Use descriptively without romanticizing; acknowledge the gendered power dynamics in how celibacy was enforced across genders.
["unmarried by vow","in vowed celibacy"]
Women mystics and abbesses—Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena—wielded intellectual and spiritual authority through celibacy; their contributions were often eclipsed by male ecclesiastical histories.
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