rite
Americannoun
-
a formal or ceremonial act or procedure prescribed or customary in religious or other solemn use.
rites of baptism; sacrificial rites.
- Synonyms:
- usage, form, observance
-
a particular form or system of religious or other ceremonial practice.
the Roman rite.
-
(often initial capital letter) a liturgy or liturgical system, especially one of the historical versions of the Eucharistic service.
the Anglican Rite.
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) a division or differentiation of churches based on liturgical practice.
-
any customary observance or practice.
the rite of afternoon tea.
noun
-
a formal act or procedure prescribed or customary in religious ceremonies
fertility rites
the rite of baptism
-
a particular body of such acts or procedures, esp of a particular Christian Church
the Latin rite
-
a Christian Church
the Greek rite
Synonym Usage
See ceremony.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of rite
1275–1325; Middle English (< Old French rit ( e )) < Latin rītus
Explanation
A rite is a ceremony or event that leads to a new phase of life, like high school graduation or a bat mitzvah. Rites are rituals. Religions in particular have many rites, which include celebrations and sacraments such as baptism or confession. But people also use this word for any kind of event that signifies moving through a stage of life. For a football player, getting your first touchdown is a "rite of passage." Even a job interview could be considered a rite — it's a traditional ritual, something everyone has to go through before landing a first job.
Vocabulary lists containing rite
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
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The Balcony Scene from "Romeo and Juliet"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The term “green shoe” comes from the first company to employ a version of this method years ago, a shoemaker that was a predecessor to Stride Rite.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
“As a reminder, we believe CVS will see a natural market share shift in its favor with the take private of Walgreens and the bankruptcy of Rite Aid.”
From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026
Singh was diagnosed with cancer and Kaur was laid off from her cashier job at Rite Aid, where she’d worked for decades, after the company closed in October.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025
The good to firm going helped Trawlerman set a new track record of four minutes, 15.02 seconds, beating the time of 4:16.92 set by Rite Of Passage 15 years ago.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2025
The Rite of Spring was the zenith of musical modernism in the early twentieth century.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
