ritual

adjective rit·u·al \ ˈri-chə-wəl , -chəl ; ˈrich-wəl \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of ritual

1 : of or relating to rites or a ritual : ceremonial

a ritual dance

2 : according to religious law

ritual purity

3 : done in accordance with social custom or normal protocol

ritual handshakes

ritual background checks

—

ritually

adverb

See ritual defined for English-language learners

See ritual defined for kids

Recent Examples of ritual from the Web

Only a series of ritual immersions in the river can bring him back.

— katharine weber, New York Times, "Three Novels Set in Ireland Past and Present," 6 Oct. 2017
After Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, for instance, Israeli researchers raced to Cairo and Alexandria to catalogue the synagogues and ritual objects used by Jewish communities that once thrived there.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "World’s Largest Online Database of Jewish Art Preserves At-Risk Heritage Objects," 5 Oct. 2017
The sweet dreams ritual once reserved for the wee lot is all grown up.

— lini s. kadaba, Philly.com, "For many insomniacs, turns out the solution may be a sorta good bedtime story," 20 Sep. 2017
In Islamic tradition, the ritual slaughter honors Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in the name of God, although God at the last moment gave Abraham a ram to sacrifice instead.

— kaveh waddell, The Atlantic, "How New Technology Is Changing Eid Celebrations," 31 Aug. 2017
Peter Broelman, a local cartoonist wrote on Twitter, likening Mr. Joyce’s combative debating style to the ritual war dance New Zealand’s burly rugby players perform before kickoff.

— rob taylor, WSJ, "Kiwi Roots Threaten to Trip Up Australian Government," 14 Aug. 2017
His name was Takesian, an Armenian from Boston, one of those hip, blunt clerics who loved to talk, as though talking itself contained ritual powers of redemption.

— Esquire, "Hell Sucks," 24 June 2016
In conjunction with her opposition to ritual slaughter and male circumcision, this would have a much more extreme outcome for religious freedom than anything the mainstream right has ever suggested.

— yascha mounk, Slate Magazine, "No, There Is No Case for Le Pen," 1 May 2017
Catholics, at the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, are beginning to get more leeway in terms of experimentation in ritual practice.

— emma green, The Atlantic, "There Are More Black Catholics in the U.S. Than Members of the A.M.E. Church," 5 Nov. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of ritual

Latin ritualis, from ritus rite

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1570

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

ritual

noun

Definition of ritual

1 : the established form for a ceremony; specifically : the order of words prescribed for a religious ceremony

2 a : ritual observance; specifically : a system of rites

b : a ceremonial act or action

c : an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner

See ritual defined for English-language learners

Examples of ritual in a Sentence

The priest will perform the ritual.
He was buried simply, without ceremony or ritual.
the daily ritual of preparing breakfast
His day-to-day life is based on ritual.

Recent Examples of ritual from the Web

The physical production once again dazzles the eye, as the story shifts in time, from the Utah scenery of Sweetwater to the Japanese rituals of Shogun World to sleek contemporary settings.

— kristi turnquist, OregonLive.com, "'Westworld' Season 2: Violence is abundant, but delights are scarce (review)," 20 Apr. 2018
Diana Stein, an archaeologist at Birkbeck University of London, claims archaeologists have long studied scenes of rituals involving drugs and their effects without realizing it.

— andrew lawler, Science | AAAS, "Did ancient Mesopotamians get high? Near Eastern rituals may have included opium, cannabis," 19 Apr. 2018
According to the catalog, the figure is likely related to a wartime victory ritual in which a high-ranking military captive was stripped, tied to a scaffold and shot to death with arrows.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "Teotihuacan: An ancient Mexican city's remarkable art comes to life at LACMA," 18 Apr. 2018
One reason for this is a long-term trend towards cremation—both cheaper than burial, and open to a wider range of rituals.

— The Economist, "Why undertakers are worried," 12 Apr. 2018
Historians trace sumo’s roots to harvest rituals associated with the Shinto religion.

— motoko rich, New York Times, "Women Barred From Sumo Ring, Even to Save a Man’s Life," 5 Apr. 2018
Landry's bill is among a handful of anti-hazing bills sponsored by Louisiana lawmakers after Gruver died from alcohol poisoning and aspiration after a night of fraternity rituals at Phi Delta Theta at LSU.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Hazing would become a felony under bill passed by Louisiana House," 2 Apr. 2018
Whipping is central to an annual Easter ritual in El Salvador, as well.

— sarah parnass, Washington Post, "Easter 2018: 5 ways the season is being celebrated around the world," 30 Mar. 2018
Su Yin and Zin Thant Thant remain loyal to this ritual and slowly lift the curtains, revealing their faces to the students.

— didem tali, USA TODAY, "Woman-led puppet theater brings health education to Myanmar villages," 22 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of ritual

1620

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

ritual Synonyms

Synonyms

custom, fashion, habit, habitude, pattern, practice (also practise), second nature, trick, way, wont;

Related Words

addiction;

disposition;

bent, inclination, proclivity, set, tendency, tenor, turn;

bag, convention, form, mode, style;

usage, use;

deportment, manners, mores;

drill, groove, jog trot, regime (also régime), regimen, rote, routine, rut;

affectation, airs, pose;

attribute, characteristic, mark, trait;

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra

RITUAL Defined for English Language Learners

ritual

adjective

Definition of ritual for English Language Learners

: done as part of a ceremony or ritual
: always done in a particular situation and in the same way each time

ritual

noun

Definition of ritual for English Language Learners

: a formal ceremony or series of acts that is always performed in the same way
: an act or series of acts done in a particular situation and in the same way each time