rites of passage

Cultural  

1. Ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person's life, such as birth, puberty, marriage, having children, and death. Rites of passage usually involve ritual activities and teachings designed to strip individuals of their original roles and prepare them for new roles. The traditional American wedding ceremony is such a rite of passage. In many so-called primitive societies, some of the most complex rites of passage occur at puberty, when boys and girls are initiated into the adult world. In some ceremonies, the initiates are removed from their village and may undergo physical mutilation before returning as adults.

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Rites of passage generally affirm community solidarity, especially in times of change or crisis.

Example Sentences

One of the most common rites of passage for young Americans is spending the long summer hours working as a camp counselor, lifeguarding at the local pool, stocking shelves or serving up dinners to regulars.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

A humiliating incident in a pool surrounded by her repulsed classmates echoes an iconic scene from “Carrie,” with Ducournau crafting an analogy for traumatic adolescent rites of passage like menstruation.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

In two months Sir Keir Starmer has already completed numerous rites of passage for new prime ministers.

From BBC • Sep. 7, 2024

Temporary paint has been used to commemorate rituals and rites of passage by the Kayapó tribe in Brazil, by Aboriginal people in Australia, by several tribes in Africa and by Native Americans.

From New York Times • Jul. 25, 2023

It felt to him as if he had just undergone some powerful rites of passage and now belonged to the western mountains instead of to the East Coast, fair-haired college culture.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols