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

The American dream of new car ownership, once a rite of passage symbolizing freedom, is now largely unaffordable for many. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Writing a book has long been a rite of passage for those planning a run for the White House. — Sophie Hills, Christian Science Monitor, 27 July 2026

For the first time in her career, the 60-year-old songwriter played Toronto’s storied Horseshoe Tavern—an intimate venue that’s been a rite of passage for many Canadian artists. — Amanda Wicks, Pitchfork, 25 July 2026

Across the country, camp fees have risen sharply, transforming what was once a middle-class rite of passage into a major household expense. — Melissa Petro, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above