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

For many straight men, their maiden journey to a strip club is an obligatory rite of passage, but for Baker, the incident was more fraught. —Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024

For many families, watching Hocus Pocus is a spooky season rite of passage, though certain elements may be a little too intense for younger kids, including Winnifred’s zombie boyfriend Billy and the intro death scenes. —Kara Nesvig, Parents, 8 Oct. 2024

Seventy-plus years after its introduction, owning one is still considered a rite of passage amongst collectors. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2024

Sure, replenishing your stock of cooking essentials and buying a new cozy fall sweater (or two) are basic rites of passage to gear up for the cold weather and holiday season. —Kelsey Fredricks, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above