ritualize

American

[rich-oo-uh-lahyz] / ˈrɪtʃ u əˌlaɪz /

especially British, ritualise

verb (used without object)

ritualized, ritualizing

to practice ritualism.

verb (used with object)

ritualized, ritualizing

to make into a ritual.

to ritualize the serving of tea.
to convert (someone) to ritualism; impose ritualism upon.

ritualize British

/ ˈrɪtjʊəˌlaɪz /

verb

(intr) to engage in ritualism or devise rituals
(tr) to make (something) into a ritual

"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

deritualize verb

Etymology

Origin of ritualize

First recorded in 1835–45; ritual + -ize

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.

Professor, activist and author Maulana Karenga would ritualize and sacralize the cultural and moral underpinnings of these practices in the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

From Salon • Nov. 20, 2019

In your case, it might mean learning to ritualize walking outdoors, reading poetry or listening to a favorite piece of music.

From Washington Post • Aug. 10, 2018

Both works ritualize "Macbeth" into a stylized allegory without sacrificing any of the visceral horror.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2015

Keepsake passwords, he suggested, ritualize a daily encounter with personal memories that often have no place else to be recalled.

From New York Times • Nov. 19, 2014

Can civilization go farther than to ritualize death as we have done?

From Rosinante to the Road Again by Dos Passos, John

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023