celibacy

Etymology

From Latin caelibātus (“celibacy, a single life”), from caelebs (“unmarried”).

noun

1. Abstaining from marriage; the state of being unmarried.
   They came to believe that men, who would live a godly life, must view marriage as a sin and choose a life of celibacy. 1920, American Lutheran Survey, volumes 13-14, page 16
   I could document this defense of celibacy. Unmarried women show up very well in all the tests of mental health. 1970, The Futurist, page 42
2. (by extension) Abstinence from sexual relations.