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ritualism

American  
[rich-oo-uh-liz-uhm] / ˈrɪtʃ u əˌlɪz əm /

noun

  1. adherence to or insistence on ritual.

  2. the study of ritual practices or religious rites.

  3. excessive fondness for ritual.


ritualism British  
/ ˈrɪtjʊəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. emphasis, esp exaggerated emphasis, on the importance of rites and ceremonies

  2. the study of rites and ceremonies, esp magical or religious ones

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of ritualism

First recorded in 1835–45; ritual + -ism

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.

But the players also hinted at something less tangible, some swirl of selfhood and ritualism and sense memory, that week after week lured them back to the ice.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2023

In his time, Buddha relished criticizing the Brahmans, questioning their authority and their dependence on ritualism.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

But for members of the Source Family, a group that some call a cult, it’s a way of life honed over decades of study and ritualism based in Western esotericism.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2023

He calls “Parsifal” a “sacred opera with a spooky heart,” links its eerie Mass-like ritualism to the esoteric ceremonies of Theosophists and Rosicrucians and notes that Philip K. Dick responded profoundly to its religious syncretism.

From Washington Post • Nov. 3, 2020

Thus has ended the conflict between the Primate and the Suffragan, which agitated, for a brief space of time, the opponents of offences of ritualism, and brought about the famous Lincoln Judgment.

From Cathedral Cities of England by Gilbert, George

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