ceremony

noun

cer·e·mo·ny | \ ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē

, ˈse-rə-\

plural ceremonies

Definition of ceremony

1 : a formal act or series of acts prescribed by ritual, protocol, or convention the marriage ceremony

2a : 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 : a routine action performed with elaborate pomp the weekly ceremony of giving out the wages to the help

3a : 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

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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

Courtesy of Amazon Studios Any excitement for the ceremony? — WSJ, "Adam McKay Wants to Start a World-Improvement Conference," 21 Feb. 2019 Ahead of Sunday’s 91st Academy Awards, Associated Press Film Writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle share their predictions for a ceremony that has few sure things. — Lindsey Bahr, The Seattle Times, "AP Oscar predictions: What will win, what should win," 20 Feb. 2019 The closing ceremony on night seven of my stay is one of many memorable scenes. — Daisy Finer, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Golden Door Is the World's Most Iconic Spa," 21 Dec. 2018 The actions of Smith and Carlos — who also removed their shoes for the ceremony, in protest of American poverty — prompted boos in the stadium, and resulted in their being suspended from the Olympic team. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Beyoncé and Jay–Z paid tribute to black athletes — and black power — for Halloween," 1 Nov. 2018 Exactly one month ahead of the October 12 festivities, Vanity Fair published an image of the invitation for the ceremony between the ninth-in-line to the throne and her entrepreneur beau. — Janine Puhak, Fox News, "Princess Eugenie’s wedding dress code reportedly stricter than Meghan Markle’s," 16 Sep. 2018 The ceremony has also been blessedly limited, going forward, to a three-hour telecast. — Devon Maloney, The Verge, "Academy backpedals on Popular Oscar idea, realizing it needs workshopping," 6 Sep. 2018 Blessed be: The Handmaid's Tale, already an awards darling after its first season won best drama series at the 2017 Emmys, is once again a pack-leader for the 2018 ceremony. — Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "Emmys: A Look at All the Nominations 'Handmaid's Tale' Received," 12 July 2018 Besides the immediate family and siblings, the royals were also joined for the ceremony by the young Prince Louis’s six godparents. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "Prince Louis Is Officially Christened: See the First Photos," 9 July 2018

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

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Last Updated

21 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for ceremony

The first known use of ceremony was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for ceremony

ceremony

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ceremony

: a formal act or event that is a part of a social or religious occasion

: very polite or formal behavior

See the full definition for ceremony in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ceremony

noun

cer·e·mo·ny | \ ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē

plural ceremonies 1

Kids Definition of ceremony

: an act or series of acts performed in some regular way according to fixed rules especially as part of a social or religious event the marriage ceremony

2 : very polite behavior : formality “Who are you?” the lady demanded without ceremony.