ritualistic

adjective

rit·​u·​al·​is·​tic ˌri-chə-wə-ˈli-stik 

-chə-ˈli-;

ˌrich-wə-

1

: of, in accordance with, or characterized by the use of ritual: such as

a

: relating to or done as a ceremony or rite

a ritualistic dance

For Rick, the clincher came in 2001, when he discovered 20 identical trumpets, made from a type of conch shell … . The trumpets were highly decorated, indicating a ritualistic use.

—Michael Brooks

Ritualistic language (such as the oyez, oyez, oyez or hear ye, hear ye, hear ye that opens a court session) separates legal proceedings from ordinary life, marking them as being special and important.

—Peter Tiersma

b

: done in accordance with social custom or normal protocol

Bush made the ritualistic visits to polling places, making a last-minute bid for support in this intense and important contest.

—Jeanne Meserve

c

: of, relating to, or being an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner

The repetitive nature of online tasks—checking e-mail, searching for data, sending replies—has a soothing, ritualistic quality … .

—Maia Szalavitz

2

: stressing the use of ritual forms : adhering to or devoted to ritualism

We can look at Stonehenge not only to envision the ancient, ritualistic people who built it, but also to imagine a version of ourselves closer to nature … according to Wisser.

—Jed Oelbaum

ritualistically

ˌri-chə-wə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

-chə-ˈli-;

ˌrich-wə-

adverb

Examples of ritualistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those pardoned after committing particularly shocking crimes and then serving in Ukraine include a serial killer from Sakhalin known for cannibalism; a member of a Satanist sect convicted of ritualistic slayings; and a man who killed his former girlfriend by brutally torturing her for hours. —Milana Mazaeva, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024

There can be a kind of strategically nostalgic quality to the Academy Awards in particular, with its ritualistic nods to Hollywood’s golden age. —Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024

The teen trio then stayed in the house for about half an hour, trying to make the scene seem ritualistic by placing a Bible upon Rod’ corpse, further mutilating his body, and putting a knife in Lois’s dead hand. —Matt Thompson, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024

Crows and ravens also famously engage in ritualistic foraging behavior for courtship. —Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024

Participants then experienced a transformative sound bath session, embracing ritualistic self-care practices. —Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 29 Feb. 2024

But Ivory described ritualistic abuse as common in Utah, offering as evidence the anecdotes from constituents and a statewide investigation announced in 2022 that the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said resulted in over 130 tips. —Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024

Promptly at 9:30 Wednesday morning, Melvin will appear in the first base dugout of Scottsdale Stadium, take a seat on the metal bench and meet reporters for the ritualistic manager’s media session that will repeat hundreds of times over the course of the season. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024

The jar may have been a ritualistic offering, and the building could have been a cultic center. —Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1