ceremony
noun
cer·e·mo·ny
ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē 
ˈse-rə-
plural ceremonies
1
: a formal act or series of acts prescribed by ritual, protocol, or convention
the marriage ceremony
2
a
: a conventional act of politeness or etiquette
the ceremony of introduction
b
: an action performed only formally with no deep significance
The custom had probably been long a mere ceremony …—
C. Thirlwall
C. Thirlwall
c
: a routine action performed with elaborate pomp
… the opening bell [of the New York Stock Exchange] is still an important daily ceremony, attracting corporate chiefs and celebrities.—John Carney
John Carney3
a
: prescribed procedures : usages
the ceremony attending an inauguration
b
: observance of an established code of civility or politeness
opened the door without ceremony and strode in
Examples of ceremony in a Sentence
There will be a ceremony honoring the town's veterans next week.
With great ceremony, the children presented each of the visitors with a gift.
He told them abruptly and without ceremony that they would have to leave.
Recent Examples on the Web
The incident happened on the same night as a tree lighting ceremony at the mall.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Kim attended a ceremony Wednesday to mark the presenting of what KCNA called 600 mm-caliber multiple rocket launchers to the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party.
—Reuters, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Davidson, whose tics include swearing, is expected to attend the ceremony, meaning any winner’s speech would be observed closely by producers if it were broadcast before the 9PM watershed.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
As part of a broadcast partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, viewers can watch the 2025 ceremony on NYC Life on TV on March 7, with an encore available online on March 16.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ceremony
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Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Kim attended a ceremony Wednesday to mark the presenting of what KCNA called 600 mm-caliber multiple rocket launchers to the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party.
—Reuters, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Davidson, whose tics include swearing, is expected to attend the ceremony, meaning any winner’s speech would be observed closely by producers if it were broadcast before the 9PM watershed.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
As part of a broadcast partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, viewers can watch the 2025 ceremony on NYC Life on TV on March 7, with an encore available online on March 16.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ceremony
Cite this Entry
“Ceremony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceremony. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ceremony
noun
cer·e·mo·ny
ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē
plural ceremonies
1
: a formal act or series of acts performed in some regular way according to fixed rules
graduation ceremonies
2
: very polite behavior : formality
dined without ceremony
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