Celibacy (from
Latin,
cælibatus") is the state of voluntarily being unmarried,
sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the term
celibacy is applied only to those for whom the unmarried state is the result of a sacred
vow, act of renunciation, or religious conviction. In a wider sense, it is commonly understood to only mean abstinence from
sexual activity.