ceremonial
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characterized by ceremony; formal; ritual.
a ceremonial occasion.
- Synonyms:
- ceremonious, conventional, solemn
- Antonyms:
- informal
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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
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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
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.
Earlier in the day, they had a carriage ride and inspected a ceremonial guard of honour.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
Team Italy, for example, celebrated home runs by donning an Armani jacket in the dugout and taking a ceremonial shot of espresso.
From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026
Prehistoric burial mounds, monoliths and ceremonial sites had long inspired wonder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
Later that year, President Mohammad-Ali Rajai was assassinated and Khamenei stood in the ensuing election to succeed him in the largely ceremonial role.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
When I opened my door, just across the hall from me a man in some ceremonial dress, who obviously lived there, was also headed downstairs, surrounded by attendants.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
