ritual

American  

[rich-oo-uhl] / ˈrɪtʃ u əl /

noun

• rituals
  plural

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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adjective

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

Synonym Usage

See ceremony.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiritual
  adjective
• proritual
  adjective
• unritual
  adjective
• ritually
  adverb
• unritually
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rituals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ritual

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

Explanation

A ritual is a ceremony or action performed in a customary way. Your family might have a Saturday night ritual of eating a big spaghetti dinner and then taking a long walk to the ice cream shop. As an adjective, ritual means "conforming to religious rites," which are the sacred, customary ways of celebrating a religion or culture. Different communities have different ritual practices, like meditation in Buddhism, or baptism in Christianity. We also call the ceremony itself a ritual. Although it comes from religious ceremonies, ritual can also be used for any time-honored tradition, like the Superbowl, or Mardi Gras, or Sunday morning pancake breakfast.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ritual rituals

The finding fits with other archaeological evidence indicating that Cloggs Cave was a place of long-lasting ritual activity rather than an ordinary living site.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

Although there is some disagreement over exactly how that ritual started, Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux insists it began after Pride was called up by the Expos in September 1993.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

The second wash in a double cleanse can be a way to scent the body and make the ritual feel more enjoyable, Gohara said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

There is the ritual, the way a whole week bends toward the game and then releases.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

He felt glum; his offering, possessing the quality of an authentic old pre-war ritual, had not been accepted.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

"It's getting ahead of the game," says Cami Sophia, 24, who has shared her new rituals on TikTok.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Flags flew at half-mast, with candlelight vigils planned later in the day, following traditional Hindu mourning rituals on the 13th day after death.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

Once the fear wears off and the road becomes home, the group develops its own rituals and routines, but maintains its connection to what came before all this, however fleeting it may be.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

Egyptians in antiquity engaged in sword combat for warfare, but also for competition — Romans utilized swords in gladiator events, rituals and duels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

A belief in God and the rituals surrounding that belief— church every Sunday, grace before meals, prayers before bed— were an important part of the Deweys’ existence.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Related Words

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