ritualistic

adjective

rit·​u·​al·​is·​tic ˌri-chə-wə-ˈli-stik 

-chə-ˈli-;

ˌrich-wə-

1

: of, in accordance with, or characterized by the use of ritual: such as

a

: relating to or done as a ceremony or rite

a ritualistic dance

For Rick, the clincher came in 2001, when he discovered 20 identical trumpets, made from a type of conch shell … . The trumpets were highly decorated, indicating a ritualistic use.

—Michael Brooks

Ritualistic language (such as the oyez, oyez, oyez or hear ye, hear ye, hear ye that opens a court session) separates legal proceedings from ordinary life, marking them as being special and important.

—Peter Tiersma

b

: done in accordance with social custom or normal protocol

… made the ritualistic visits to polling places, making a last-minute bid for support in this intense and important contest.

—Jeanne Meserve

c

: of, relating to, or being an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner

The repetitive nature of online tasks—checking e-mail, searching for data, sending replies—has a soothing, ritualistic quality.

—Maia Szalavitz

2

: stressing the use of ritual forms : adhering to or devoted to ritualism

… the structure held ritualistic significance that spanned several historical eras before the arrival of the Spanish.

—Christopher Parker

We can look at Stonehenge not only to envision the ancient, ritualistic people who built it, but also to imagine a version of ourselves closer to nature … according to Wisser.

—Jed Oelbaum

ritualistically

ˌri-chə-wə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

-chə-ˈli-;

ˌrich-wə-

adverb

Examples of ritualistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stasevska was born in 1984, the same year that Glass’ hypnotic, ritualistic opera, about an Egyptian pharaoh who dared to push monotheism onto his polytheistic culture, debuted in Stuttgart, Germany. —Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026

Kuru disease is fatally transmitted through ritualistic cannibalism, with death occurring within one to two years of the onset of symptoms, according to the NIH. —Layla Ferris, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026

Listen to the full episode to hear Misti get into the real solutions being researched right now, including ritualistic atomic priesthood, songs, and stories. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 25 Feb. 2026

Tea is presented alongside the ritualistic high pour synonymous with Moroccan tradition, which is not only an enjoyable spectacle, but a gesture of warm welcome. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ritualistic

• anachronistic
• animalistic
• antagonistic
• antiphlogistic
• behavioristic
• cannibalistic
• capitalistic
• characteristic
• collectivistic
• deterministic
• ethnolinguistic
• expressionistic