celibate
Abstaining from marriage and sexual relations, typically for religious reasons. / A person who abstains from marriage and sexual relations, often as a religious vow.
AdjectiveNoun
pl: celibates
This term carries a strong association with religious devotion and spiritual discipline, often implying a conscious, lifelong commitment rather than a temporary state of singleness. It suggests a disciplined renunciation of physical intimacy to achieve a higher state of purity or focus. As a noun, the word refers to the individual practicing this lifestyle. While it functions as a standard countable noun, it is most frequently encountered as an adjective describing a state of being or a specific type of lifestyle.