ceremony
Americannoun
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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.
-
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:
When Faye’s beloved college professor dies suddenly and she’s asked to speak at a memorial ceremony, nostalgia and flattery make her drop everything and hightail it back to the leafy northeastern college town.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Noskova’s victory ceremony proved to be the emotional crescendo of the tournament.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The president was set to sign it in late June but abruptly canceled the ceremony.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
During the ceremony, she successfully bid £16,000 for a pair of tickets to see Harry Styles in New York - then immediately returned her prize to be auctioned a second time.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Fine. But if this ceremony doesn’t work, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
The 56-year-old did not participate in the funeral ceremonies in Tehran and Qom, and there was no indication that he attended the burial.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Khamenei's funeral ceremonies included a series of locations that reflect the religious, political and ideological pillars of the Islamic republic.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Speaking of awards ceremonies: “OK Computer” was nominated for album of the year at the Grammys in 1998.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
She’s not a diva belting out choruses and taking up space—instead, she sometimes seems like a master of ceremonies, someone hosting the party rather than hogging the spotlight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The fact is, Ti Jean explains, that three-quarters of all Voodoo ceremonies are an effort to drive away illness, not to put a curse on someone.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
