ritual

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

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

In the mystical realm, because of its dragon’s blood associations, it is also used in ritual magic and alchemy.

— tonya alanez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Rare Dragon Blood tree must come down, Fort Lauderdale told," 17 Aug. 2017
Ritual and art are often intertwined in ancient human history, and the bones at Gough Cave are among the oldest examples of artistic cannibalism ever found.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "14,700 years ago, cannibals conducted rituals in this English cave," 11 Aug. 2017
My strategy is to do one entry early in the trip, and make the ritual part of the daily routine.

— erin mckittrick, Alaska Dispatch News, "How to document your Alaska adventure," 11 July 2017
Ritual does not arrive without change in the Envy on the Coast lineup.

— chris payne, Billboard, "Long Island Rockers Envy on the Coast Premiere Long-Awaited 'Ritual' EP: Listen Here," 29 June 2017
This would constitute two bites at the apple since the Cubs moved heaven and earth to do the ritual post-championship visit during the waning days of the Obama administration.

— vanityfair.com, "The White House’s Media Blood Feud Hits a New Low," 28 June 2017
But in a sad twist of irony, the historical resilience of cats to survive ritual killings, long journeys on Viking ships and other forms of abuse — they are thrown from windows at double the rate of dogs — has been a detriment to their protection.

— michael s. rosenwald, Washington Post, "The disturbing history of cat abuse: Public hangings, pipe beatings and ‘The Great Cat Massacre’," 23 June 2017
Yet this is not the vicious lynching of a Trump-surrogate that the right-wing press are keen to portray, nor a ritual expression of New York Democrats' bloodlust.

— kate maltby, CNN, "Trump as Julius Caesar -- What could go wrong?," 12 June 2017
Developer Verzasca Group will donate a Mikvah — a bath used by Jewish men and women for ritual immersion — to the Chabad Lubavitch of Sunny Isles Beach as part of their 61-residence luxury condo tower Aurora at 17550 Collins Ave.

— rene rodriguez, miamiherald, "How schools, trains and concerts are building up Miami’s neighborhoods," 4 June 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

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

His daily morning ritual gave away the ending of Monday's rare event.

— michael casagrande, AL.com, "Why Nick Saban doesn't care about solar eclipse 2017," 19 Aug. 2017
He was mutilated by a religious fanatic performing a magic ritual.

— matt miller, Esquire, "This Game of Thrones Theory Might Hold the Key to Varys's True Loyalties," 26 July 2017
In one long, glorious shot, the pair dance, carve, and intertwine like two exotic birds in a wild double-helix courting ritual.

— vanityfair.com, "Montauk’s Surf Lodge Leans Into Its Cool-Kid Reputation with a Premiere for Rose McGowan’s New Short Film," 24 July 2017
A series of seven solo segments was part ritual, part randomized, the ensemble reacting to each soloist’s impulse.

— libby hanssen, kansascity, "Kansas City Fringe Festival brings live performances and cinema to venues around town," 22 July 2017
Attackers beheaded their enemies and even ate their organs in ghastly rituals.

— The Economist, "Borneo againIndonesian Islamists open a new front in their war on tolerance," 20 July 2017
Whatever your favorite beauty or self-care ritual is, find strength in that today.

— jodie layne, Allure, "What This Week's Horoscope Means for You," 17 July 2017
Part of our birthday ritual is to reminisce about our friendship over the years.

— debbie bosak, Post-Tribune, "Lifelong friendships take joyous effort," 12 July 2017
At a time when these expectations about gender are eroding, this type of ritual is working against that progress.

— diane stopyra, Marie Claire, "Dear Parents-to-Be: Stop Celebrating Your Baby's Gender," 5 July 2017

First Known Use of ritual

1620

ritual Synonyms

Synonyms

custom, fashion, habitude, pattern, practice (also practise), habit, 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; eccentricity, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity, tic

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

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

RITUAL Defined for English Language Learners

ritual

play

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

RITUAL Defined for Kids

ritual

play

noun rit·u·al \ ˈri-chə-wəl \

Definition of ritual for Students

:a ceremony or series of acts that is always performed the same way

Medical Dictionary

ritual

play

noun rit·u·al \ ˈrich-(ə-)wəl \

medical Definition of ritual

:any act or practice regularly repeated in a set precise manner for relief of anxiety

obsessive-compulsive rituals

Learn More about ritual

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ritual Spanish Central: Translation of ritual Nglish: Translation of ritual for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ritual for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ritual

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Origin and Etymology of ritual

ritual

Definition of ritual

Examples of ritual in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ritual from the Web

First Known Use of ritual

ritual Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

RITUAL Defined for English Language Learners

ritual

Definition of ritual for English Language Learners

ritual

Definition of ritual for English Language Learners

RITUAL Defined for Kids

ritual

Definition of ritual for Students

Medical Dictionary

ritual

medical Definition of ritual

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