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Prepositions after verbs

Celebrate in, with, by, on or for?

Celebrate is usually followed by with or by to describe how people celebrate. Other prepositions may introduce time, place, or reason rather than fixed combinations.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with celebrate?

Use celebrate with for companions or things used in celebration. Use celebrate by for methods or actions. In and on often introduce place or date. Celebrate for is uncommon after the verb.

We celebrated with friends.
They celebrated by going out for dinner.
The festival is celebrated on 1 May.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
celebrate with + person/thing

Who or what joins the celebration

Use with for companions, food, drinks, or other accompanying details.

She celebrated with her family.
2
celebrate by + action

How someone celebrates

Use by before an activity that marks the occasion.

They celebrated by hosting a party.
3
celebrate in + place

Where something is celebrated

In can introduce a location or setting.

The holiday is celebrated in many countries.
4
celebrate on + date

When something is celebrated

On is used for specific days and dates.

The event is celebrated on the last Friday of June.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
celebrate with
They celebrated with champagne.
shows companions or accompanying things
celebrate by
He celebrated by taking a short trip.
shows the method of celebration
celebrate in
The tradition is celebrated in rural areas.
In introduces place
celebrate on
The holiday is celebrated on Monday.
On introduces a day or date
celebrate for
The city celebrated for three days.
For introduces duration, not a fixed pattern after celebrate

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using for as the main complement

Celebrate for is usually not the intended structure.

✕ They celebrated for the victory. ✓ They celebrated the victory.

Confusing by and with

By introduces an action; with introduces companions or things.

✕ They celebrated with dancing all night. ✓ They celebrated by dancing all night.

Adding an unnecessary preposition

Celebrate often takes a direct object.

✕ We celebrated for her success. ✓ We celebrated her success.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. They celebrated ___ inviting the whole team.
2. The festival is celebrated ___ July 14.
3. We celebrated ___ close friends.

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Frequently asked questions

Can celebrate be used without a preposition?

Yes. For example: We celebrated our anniversary.

Is celebrate for ever correct?

For can express duration, as in celebrated for hours, but it is not the main complement of celebrate.

What is the difference between celebrate with and celebrate by?

With names companions or accompanying things. By explains the action used to celebrate.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

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