ceremony

American  

[ser-uh-moh-nee] / ˈsɛr əˌmoʊ ni /

noun

plural

ceremonies

1. the formal activities conducted on some solemn or important public or state occasion.

   the coronation ceremony.

2. a formal religious or sacred observance; a solemn rite.

   a marriage ceremony.

3. formal observances or gestures collectively; ceremonial observances.

   The breathless messenger had no time for ceremony.

4. any formal act or observance, especially a meaningless one.

   His low bow was mere ceremony.

5. a gesture or act of politeness or civility.

   the ceremony of a handshake.

6. strict adherence to conventional forms; formality.

   to leave a room without ceremony.

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idioms

1. stand on ceremony, to behave in a formal or ceremonious manner.

ceremony British  

/ ˈsɛrɪmənɪ /

noun

1. a formal act or ritual, often set by custom or tradition, performed in observation of an event or anniversary

   a ceremony commemorating Shakespeare's birth

2. a religious rite or series of rites

3. a courteous gesture or act

   the ceremony of toasting the Queen

4. ceremonial observances or gestures collectively

   the ceremony of a monarchy

5. to insist on or act with excessive formality

6. in a casual or informal manner

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ceremony More Idioms  

1. see stand on (ceremony).

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Related Words

Ceremony, rite, ritual refer to set observances and acts traditional in religious services or on public occasions. Ceremony applies to more or less formal dignified acts on religious or public occasions: a marriage ceremony; an inaugural ceremony. A rite is an established, prescribed, or customary form of religious or other solemn practice: the rite of baptism. Ritual refers to the form of conducting worship or to a code of ceremonies in general: Masonic rituals.

Other Word Forms

• preceremony
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ceremony

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ceremonie, from Medieval Latin cēremōnia, from Latin caerimōnia “sacred rite”; replacing Middle English cerymonye, from Middle French cerimonie, from Latin, as above

Explanation

A ceremony is a formal event held on special occasions such as weddings and graduations. Even if an occasion isn’t traditionally honored with a ceremony, you can hold one anyway; we know your cat’s third birthday is important. Ceremony can also refer to proper, formal behavior; someone who insists on behaving properly can be said to “stand on ceremony.” If you insist on standing up and shaking hands every time you’re introduced to someone, you're a person who stands on ceremony. If you prefer to sit back and offer a casual “Hey,” you're a person who acts “without ceremony.”

Example Sentences

A full week since the Opening Ceremony, the U.S. was stuck on four, the same number as Sweden and Switzerland.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of the NBC morning mainstay since 2012, was scheduled to host the network’s coverage of the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony with Terry Gannon.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

And while the Opening Ceremony will kick things off on Feb. 6, Peacock will start coverage Feb. 4 with preliminary rounds of curling, skiing and snowboarding.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

This year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is back in L.A., and with legends like Elton John and Mick Fleetwood hitting the stage, Angelenos are in for a treat.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

“If we had known—” “Are you saying that if you had known this before the Choosing Ceremony, you wouldn’t have chosen Dauntless? ”

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• commemoration
• function
• observance
• parade
• rite
• service
• show