rite of passage

noun

1. Anthropology.,  a ceremony performed to facilitate or mark a person's change of status upon any of several highly important occasions, as at the onset of puberty or upon entry into marriage or into a clan.

2. any important act or event that serves to mark a passage from one stage of life to another.

rite of passage

/ rit də pɑsaʒ /

noun

1. a ceremony performed in some cultures at times when an individual changes his status, as at puberty and marriage

2. a significant event in a transitional period of someone's life

Word History and Origins

Origin of rite of passage¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

It’s a rite of passage leaving the nest for the son to explore the world.

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Hosting on a budget is a rite of passage, I think—a kind of domestic apprenticeship where you suddenly realize that ambience is not something you can buy in the seasonal aisle.

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So the journey is a rite of passage for many cruisers.

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The annual event sees selected town residents taking turns to run through the streets carrying burning wooden firkins in an "ancient rite of passage", Andrew Wade, president of the Tar Barrels Committee, said.

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The “Year 3 Leap” is a rite of passage common to all-time basketball greats.

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