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

In the sitcom world, the disastrous dinner party is a rite of passage. — Jessica Barrett, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2026

At least three individuals were rescued after suffering injuries this summer at Sunset Cliffs, leading police to ramp up enforcement as locals debate the need for safety versus the merits of youthful rites of passage. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

For generations of American teenagers, turning 16 and getting a driver’s license has been a rite of passage—and a first taste of independence. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

The show is leaning into its strengths, dialing up the madcap comedy and overlapping dialogue while keeping the story lines rooted in recognizable rites of passage for young people. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above