ceremonious

play

adjective cer·e·mo·ni·ous \ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-əs, ˌse-rə-\

Definition of ceremonious

1 : devoted to forms and ceremony ceremonious courtiers
2 : of, relating to, or constituting a ceremony a ceremonious occasion
3 : according to formal usage or prescribed procedures the cold and ceremonious politeness of her curtsey — Jane Austen
4 : marked by ceremony a ceremonious procession

ceremoniously

adverb

ceremoniousness

noun

See ceremonious defined for English-language learners

See ceremonious defined for kids

Examples of ceremonious in a Sentence

She read the announcement in a very ceremonious way.
a century ago everyday life was much more ceremonious than in our anything-goes era

Recent Examples of ceremonious from the Web

Jersey Shore won its first Carpenter Cup since 2014, and, after a ceremonious ending, the all-star team broke up.

— jake lourim, Philly.com, "Jersey Shore rallies to win Carpenter Cup title against Delaware North", 24 June 2017
Route 66's storied life, slow death and ceremonious revival are the three events etched deepest into the timeline of this 90-year-old barber.

— mark johanson, chicagotribune.com, "Still kicking: Route 66's glory days live on along colorful stretch of Arizona", 20 June 2017
Zimmer said, surprised by the ceremonious end to his ride.

— daniel petty, The Denver Post, "In Salida, a priest, NASA engineer and wounded veteran find joy in Ride the Rockies finish", 17 June 2017
Service, while overeager at times, avoids both the harried anxiety of cheaper Indian restaurants and the ceremonious pretension of more expensive ones.

— pete wells, New York Times, "Sahib, in Curry Hill, Lets You Eat All Over India", 21 Feb. 2017
Mr. Temer, 75, a button-down career politician whose demeanor is so cryptically ceremonious that his rivals liken him to a butler in a horror movie, was apparently inspired by an array of themes.

— simon romero, New York Times, "Eduardo Cunha, Who Helped Oust Dilma Rousseff, Resigns Brazil House Post JULY 7, 2016", 18 July 2016
Consider this race to be the current MX-5’s ceremonious send-off as the next iteration arrives.

— alexander george, WIRED, "Mazda Enters a Production Miata Into One of Earth’s Most Grueling Races", 19 June 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ceremonious'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of ceremonious

1553

Synonym Discussion of ceremonious

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