ceremony
Americannoun
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ceremonies
plural
-
the formal activities conducted on some solemn or important public or state occasion.
the coronation ceremony.
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a formal religious or sacred observance; a solemn rite.
a marriage ceremony.
-
formal observances or gestures collectively; ceremonial observances.
The breathless messenger had no time for ceremony.
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any formal act or observance, especially a meaningless one.
His low bow was mere ceremony.
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a gesture or act of politeness or civility.
the ceremony of a handshake.
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strict adherence to conventional forms; formality.
to leave a room without ceremony.
idioms
noun
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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
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a religious rite or series of rites
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a courteous gesture or act
the ceremony of toasting the Queen
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ceremonial observances or gestures collectively
the ceremony of a monarchy
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to insist on or act with excessive formality
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in a casual or informal manner
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing ceremony
Olympics Vocabulary for Champions
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A Graduation Lexicon
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Inside Out & Back Again
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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.
See Examples For:
The Saturday, May 23, event, which Kremlev paid for, was held on the same island as the ceremony.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
Troops in flashy uniforms have been rehearsing on the White House driveway this week ahead of the welcome ceremony.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
His award was presented by Dame Sarah in a ceremony that coincided with the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the US in which nearly 3,000 people were killed.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
A ceremony for the attack’s 25th anniversary was starting, and he had come in quietly, head down, free from the fanfare that usually follows the surging Senate candidate.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
There was a big thanksgiving service in the church, and at the end of it, Sancho was given the keys to the town in a most ridiculous ceremony.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Created by an act of Congress and named in honor of President John F. Kennedy, the center’s white-marbled building has hosted plays, concerts, and award ceremonies since 1971.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Woods, 50, also held a clinic where he was asked by the master of ceremonies about his game and replied: "I can hit pretty much anything."
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
It led all shows with 25 nominations, and has already won four awards in the early ceremonies, including best casting for a drama series.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
Earlier this month, a pair of ceremonies, formerly called the Creative Arts Emmys, honored artistic and technical achievements as well as some performance categories.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Our master of ceremonies, Kwame, is pacing back and forth in his tuxedo, flipping through his joke notebook.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
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.
