rite
Americannoun
-
a formal or ceremonial act or procedure prescribed or customary in religious or other solemn use.
rites of baptism; sacrificial rites.
- Synonyms:
- usage, form, observance
-
a particular form or system of religious or other ceremonial practice.
the Roman rite.
-
(often initial capital letter) a liturgy or liturgical system, especially one of the historical versions of the Eucharistic service.
the Anglican Rite.
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) a division or differentiation of churches based on liturgical practice.
-
any customary observance or practice.
the rite of afternoon tea.
noun
-
a formal act or procedure prescribed or customary in religious ceremonies
fertility rites
the rite of baptism
-
a particular body of such acts or procedures, esp of a particular Christian Church
the Latin rite
-
a Christian Church
the Greek rite
Related Words
See ceremony.
Other Word Forms
- riteless adjective
- ritelessness noun
Etymology
Origin of rite
1275–1325; Middle English (< Old French rit ( e )) < Latin rītus
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.
Keening, derived from the Irish word "caoineadh", meaning "to cry", is a traditional vocal lament for the dead and was once a central part of funeral rites in Ireland.
From BBC
On the journey home from the first World Cup, Eisenbeisser contracted pneumonia and a priest was called to administer the last rites.
From Los Angeles Times
Year-end tax planning is an annual rite at accounting and advisory firms like CBIZ, said Mark Baran, a managing director in the firm’s national tax office.
From MarketWatch
When word came of Rob Reiner’s senseless death, America fell into familiar rites of mourning and remembrance.
From Los Angeles Times
It’s a rite of passage, a sort of welcoming into the family.
From Salon
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.
