ceremonial

1 of 2

adjective

cer·​e·​mo·​ni·​al ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-əl 

ˌse-rə-

1

: marked by, involved in, or belonging to ceremony : stressing careful attention to form and detail

ceremonial rites

2

: having no real power or influence

his new position is largely ceremonial

ceremonialism

ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-ə-ˌli-zəm 

ˌse-rə-

noun

ceremonialist

ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-ə-list 

ˌse-rə-

noun

ceremonially

ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-ə-lē 

ˌse-rə-

adverb

ceremonial

2 of 2

noun

: a ceremonial act, action, or system

Synonyms of ceremonial

Adjective

• formal
• ceremonious
• conventional
• official

Noun

• ritual
• ceremony

Choose the Right Synonym for ceremonial

ceremonial, ceremonious, formal, conventional mean marked by attention to or adhering strictly to prescribed forms.

ceremonial and ceremonious both imply strict attention to what is prescribed by custom or by ritual, but ceremonial applies to things that are associated with ceremonies,

a ceremonial offering

ceremonious to persons given to ceremony or to acts attended by ceremony.

made his ceremonious entrance

formal applies both to things prescribed by and to persons obedient to custom and may suggest stiff, restrained, or old-fashioned behavior.

a formal report

the headmaster's formal manner

conventional implies accord with general custom and usage

conventional courtesy

and may suggest a stodgy lack of originality or independence.

conventional fiction

Examples of ceremonial in a Sentence

Adjective

The tribe has different ceremonial masks for each ceremony.

His new position is largely ceremonial because all the decisions are actually made by a committee.

Noun

a number of religious ceremonials

the funeral of a pope is usually marked by rich pageantry and elaborate ceremonials

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

His Canadian ambassador lifted a ceremonial shovel at the groundbreaking. —Anna Clark, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026

And the crowd stayed to watch as six hundred young skiers—many of whom were little girls, with glitter on their cheeks—glided around the ski track in the stadium and then stood there in a phalanx, an honor guard as Diggins took a ceremonial last lap. —Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026

Take the famous photograph of the driving of the ceremonial golden spike uniting the railroad companies. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 24 Mar. 2026

The final World Cup race of her career wasn't simply a ceremonial lap in front of home fans, either — Diggins was charging hard for the win. —ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1679, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ceremonial

• antimonial
• matrimonial
• postcolonial
• precolonial
• testimonial
• anticolonial
• intercolonial
• neocolonial
• baronial
• colonial

Kids Definition

ceremonial

1 of 2 adjective

cer·​e·​mo·​ni·​al ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-əl 

: of, relating to, or forming a ceremony

ceremonialism

-nē-ə-ˌliz-əm 

noun

ceremonialist

-nē-ə-ləst 

noun

ceremonially

-nē-ə-lē 

adverb

ceremonialness noun

ceremonial

2 of 2 noun

: a ceremonial act, action, or system