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:
A guy in a sharp uniform asked if I wanted to go to the ceremony or to the admiral’s house.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
“We want it in three separate vaccinations, given at separate times,” he said during the signing ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Gina and Jacob Dodds, from Hoole in Chester, said "I do" in a ceremony held at the city's Storyhouse arts and cultural centre on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
As the ceremony continued, a DJ on a nearby stage cranked up the volume, and the pulsating music made it harder to hear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Now that she was twelve, she’d be placed in her coven, but like every ceremony before, tonight three witches would be left over: Spares.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
She was surprised to learn the ceremonies had taken place nearby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
"The reason why they're so popular - certainly with pagan ceremonies - the solar eclipse is thought of as a merging of the sun and the moon."
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Amir, a 55-year-old pick-up driver, has been attending the Arbaeen ceremonies in Iraq for years, but said that this time is different.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
It was a fairly typical day in Kaye’s courtroom, and he was looking forward to one of his favorite activities — graduation ceremonies for people who completed the treatment plan he was describing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
I was to lead the flag salute and give the welcome at the graduation ceremonies.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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.
