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

---

Other Word Forms

• antiritualism noun
• antiritualistic adjective
• hyperritualism noun
• hyperritualistic adjective
• nonritualistic adjective
• nonritualistically adverb
• ritualist noun
• ritualistic adjective
• ritualistically adverb
• unritualistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of ritualism

First recorded in 1835–45; ritual + -ism

Example Sentences

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

There is no adequate motive for the retention of the ritualism and worship of Comtism, nor is there any good reason for the deification of humanity.

From The Next Step in Religion An Essay toward the Coming Renaissance by Sellars, Roy Wood