ceremonial

American  

[ser-uh-moh-nee-uhl] / ˌsɛr əˈmoʊ ni əl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by ceremony; formal; ritual.

   a ceremonial occasion.

   Synonyms:

   ceremonious, conventional, solemn

   Antonyms:

   informal

2. used in or in connection with ceremonies.

   ceremonial robes.

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noun

• ceremonials
  plural

1. a system of ceremonies, rites, or formalities prescribed for or observed on any particular occasion; a rite.

   Synonyms:

   liturgy, ritual

2. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. the order for rites and ceremonies.

   2. a book containing it.

3. formal behavior found at, or appropriate to, a certain occasion.

   the ceremonial of a state banquet.

ceremonial British  

/ ˌsɛrɪˈməʊnɪəl /

adjective

1. involving or relating to ceremony or ritual

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noun

1. the observance of formality, esp in etiquette

2. a plan for formal observances on a particular occasion; ritual

3. Christianity

   1. the prescribed order of rites and ceremonies

   2. a book containing this

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticeremonialism
  noun
• anticeremonialist
  noun
• ceremonialism
  noun
• ceremonialist
  noun
• anticeremonial
  adjective
• nonceremonial
  adjective
• preceremonial
  adjective
• unceremonial
  adjective
• anticeremonially
  adverb
• ceremonially
  adverb
• nonceremonially
  adverb
• unceremonially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ceremonials
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ceremonial

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin cēremōniālis, Late Latin caerimōniālis. See ceremony, -al ¹

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ceremonial ceremonials

In European traditions, the handwritten Torah scroll, which contains the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is protected with ceremonial coverings and adornments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

And in the Central Valley, he waved the ceremonial green flag at a stock car race at the Madera Speedway, where he was named grand marshal of the annual Harvest Classic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

A few years ago, an experimental McDonald’s drive-thru system became convinced that two customers needed an almost ceremonial quantity of chicken McNuggets.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

He has held exhibitions across Essex and also performed a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at an exhibition at Harlow Library.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

The rocket began, like the gunpowder that first powered it, in China where it was used for ceremonial and aesthetic purposes.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

The huge hole in the record of L.A.’s musical storytelling is because so many old tunes were sung in the streets, at home, at ceremonials.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2021

The ceremonials were the same, and we filed into the Council Chamber a little before four in the afternoon.

From Nature ● Dec. 18, 2018

We climbed and explored Acoma and Bandelier, Mesa Verde, went to Indian dances and ceremonials and powwows.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 28, 2016

Alas, I shan't be there to witness these ceremonials.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 17, 2011

She glows in her ceremonials, looking more like an empress than a Blood Shrike.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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Related Words

• liturgical
• solemn
• stately

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