celebrant

Everyday

1. A celebrant is a person who leads a ceremony, such as a wedding, a naming day or a funeral. tree →
2. A priest or minister who leads a church service, especially Mass, is called the celebrant. tree →
3. Sometimes a celebrant is simply a person who is celebrating something at a party or festival. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and everyday life it names the person in charge of a special ceremony; in Australia, New Zealand and the UK many weddings are led by a «civil celebrant» or «marriage celebrant» instead of a priest. It tells the reader who is speaking the important words at the ceremony. Phrases: marriage celebrant, civil celebrant, funeral celebrant.

Examples

• The celebrant asked everyone to stand as the bride came in. tree →
• Our wedding celebrant was a friendly woman with a loud voice. tree →
• At Grandad's funeral the celebrant told stories about his life. tree →
• The priest was the celebrant at the Sunday service. tree →
• In Australia you can marry in a park if a celebrant leads the ceremony. tree →
• The celebrants danced in the street until the music stopped. tree →
• The celebrant read a poem at my baby sister's naming day. tree →

Note

Countable: a celebrant, two celebrants. Do not confuse it with «celebrity» (a famous person) or «celebration» (the party or event itself). The stress is on the first syllable: CEL-e-brant. Not a maths word.