ceremonial
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characterized by ceremony; formal; ritual.
a ceremonial occasion.
- Synonyms:
- ceremonious, conventional, solemn
- Antonyms:
- informal
-
used in or in connection with ceremonies.
ceremonial robes.
noun
-
a system of ceremonies, rites, or formalities prescribed for or observed on any particular occasion; a rite.
-
Roman Catholic Church.
-
the order for rites and ceremonies.
-
a book containing it.
-
-
formal behavior found at, or appropriate to, a certain occasion.
the ceremonial of a state banquet.
adjective
noun
-
the observance of formality, esp in etiquette
-
a plan for formal observances on a particular occasion; ritual
-
Christianity
-
the prescribed order of rites and ceremonies
-
a book containing this
-
Other Word Forms
- anticeremonial adjective
- anticeremonialism noun
- anticeremonialist noun
- anticeremonially adverb
- ceremonialism noun
- ceremonialist noun
- ceremonially adverb
- nonceremonial adjective
- nonceremonially adverb
- preceremonial adjective
- unceremonial adjective
- unceremonially adverb
Etymology
Origin of ceremonial
1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin cēremōniālis, Late Latin caerimōniālis. See ceremony, -al 1
Explanation
When an occasion is extremely formal and full of rituals, you can call it ceremonial. Your cousin's fancy wedding and your friend's bar mitzvah are both ceremonial events. The ritual of a new queen being crowned is ceremonial, with its pomp and formality. The way your family celebrates Thanksgiving might feel ceremonial to you as well, if everyone takes it very seriously and sticks to firm rules about what food to eat and who carves the turkey. Ceremonial originally described a purely religious ritual, from the Latin caerimonia, "holiness or sacredness."
Vocabulary lists containing ceremonial
"When Cultures Meet"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Culture
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 31–September 6, 2024
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“I love this sort of ceremonial procession as you walk through the sphinxes and columns — these figures who have created safe space for me, literally, conceptually, spiritually,” Halsey says.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Its Parliament chose a Kurdish politician, Nizar Amedi, as president on Saturday, a largely ceremonial role, but it still hasn’t selected the next prime minister.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
This pattern strongly suggests the bodies were not treated in a ceremonial or ritual way.
From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026
Survivors are likely to be doing interviews and making their points during the visit, contrasting their stories with the ceremonial splendour.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
The men with skin like the milk of goats and their Ashanti companions drank the palm wine from hand-carved gourds that had been decorated with ceremonial tribal designs.
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
