ritual

[ rich-oo-uhl ]

noun

1. an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.
2. a system or collection of religious or other rites.
3. observance of set forms in public worship.
4. a book of rites or ceremonies.
5. a book containing the offices to be used by priests in administering the sacraments and for visitation of the sick, burial of the dead, etc.
6. a prescribed or established rite, ceremony, proceeding, or service:

   the ritual of the dead.

7. prescribed, established, or ceremonial acts or features collectively, as in religious services.
8. any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner.
9. a prescribed code of behavior regulating social conduct, as that exemplified by the raising of one's hat or the shaking of hands in greeting.
10. Psychiatry. a specific act, as hand-washing, performed repetitively to a pathological degree, occurring as a common symptom of obsessive-compulsive neurosis.

adjective

1. of the nature of or practiced as a rite or ritual:

   a ritual dance.

   Synonyms: sacramental, formal, ceremonial

2. of or relating to rites or ritual:

   ritual laws.

ritual

/ ˈrɪtjʊəl /

noun

1. the prescribed or established form of a religious or other ceremony
2. such prescribed forms in general or collectively
3. stereotyped activity or behaviour
4. psychol any repetitive behaviour, such as hand-washing, performed by a person with a compulsive personality disorder
5. any formal act, institution, or procedure that is followed consistently

   the ritual of the law

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of religious, social, or other rituals

Derived Forms

• ˈritually, adverb

Other Words From

• ritu·al·ly adverb
• anti·ritu·al adjective
• pro·ritu·al adjective
• un·ritu·al adjective
• un·ritu·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ritual¹

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin rītuālis, from rītu(s) rite + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ritual¹

C16: from Latin rītuālis , from rītus rite

Synonym Study

See ceremony.

Example Sentences

"Adverts have become part of the ritual surrounding Christmas," Prof Helen Wheatley, a historian of television, told BBC News.

From BBC

The ritual Democratic self-flagellation is calming down a bit as most people finally take a breath and recognize that while the result was a terrible disappointment it was anything but a landslide for Donald Trump, nor was it a crushing rebuke of the Democrats.

From Salon

They taught the cast how to sit and hold themselves, how to move and how to do the rituals, which Rossellini says was essential because the “ritual is the frame that holds the mystery” of the church’s beliefs.

From Los Angeles Times

I asked several of my friends who are psychologists about my ritual.

From Salon

My ritual for after Suppa Club is going to Fukagawa, which is a Japanese breakfast place in Gardena.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• act
• custom
• formality
• habit
• liturgy
• observance
• practice
• procedure
• rite
• routine
• stereotype