rite of passage

noun

plural rites of passage

: a ritual, event, or experience that marks or constitutes a major milestone or change in a person's life

Rites of passage celebrate the social movement of individuals into and out of groups or into or out of statuses of critical importance to the individual and to the community. Reproduction, the achievement of manhood and womanhood, marriage, and death are the principal worldwide occasions for rites of passage.

—Marvin Harris

For them the two years of missionary work, with the rigorous bootcamp-style training preceding it, is a rite of passage between graduation and marriage, adolescence and adult life.

—Malise Ruthven

Today, when each year American society becomes more complex, a veritable tapestry of nationalities, the strongest of our common threads may well be the rites of passage all immigrants face.

—Harold Holzer

The author, grandson of the poet Allen Tate, dropped out of Sewanee University after going through the by-now familiar 1960's rite of passage of drugs, sex, and antiwar demonstrations …

—Caroline Seebohm

compare initiation rite

Examples of rite of passage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Where previous generations saw credit cards as a rite of passage and a tool for building credit history, Gen Z sees them as a trap. —Nick Molnar, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2025

Spotting Byrne on two wheels has become a New York City rite of passage, like sussing out the best halal cart in midtown, or dropping something important onto the subway tracks. —Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

To be there, be a part of the ceremony, and enjoy this musical rite of passage is amazing. —Lucas Villa, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025

Silver There was a time when owning silver was a rite of passage and, while its panache has decreased in recent year, there's still inherent value in this precious metal. —Heather Bien, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above