as in to consecrate
formal
to mark (something) officially or formally especially with a religious ceremony
The priest solemnized their marriage.
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Recent Examples of solemnize
The funeral took place in the Cambridge church where her wedding had been solemnized sixteen months earlier.
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Lee signs bill allowing officiants to decline to perform marriages
Lee quietly signed into law a bill allowing officiants to decline to solemnize marriages for any reason, which has been criticized by the LGBTQ community as antagonistic.
—Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 3 Feb. 2025
The vows were solemnized by Hunter S. Thompson who was an ordained minister.
—Rory Feehan, SPIN, 9 Nov. 2023
Once received, the license must be solemnized with a ceremony conducted by someone recognized as having the legal power do so.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2020
According to custom in these conservative Hindu communities, while weddings are often solemnized at very young ages, a bride typically is sent to live with her husband’s family and consummate the union in her teens.
—Author: Shashank Bengali, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2018
Paper can also help us with solemnizing our transactions — making them official.
—David Scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Apr. 2018
There is no marker to solemnize the death of the Spurs' unmatched dynasty: RIP 1997-2017.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Feb. 2018
In one temple, an officiant claimed that his facility had solemnized 1,500 mixed marriages over the last five years.
—Ira Trivedi, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2013
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Lee signs bill allowing officiants to decline to perform marriages
Lee quietly signed into law a bill allowing officiants to decline to solemnize marriages for any reason, which has been criticized by the LGBTQ community as antagonistic.
—Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 3 Feb. 2025
The vows were solemnized by Hunter S. Thompson who was an ordained minister.
—Rory Feehan, SPIN, 9 Nov. 2023
Once received, the license must be solemnized with a ceremony conducted by someone recognized as having the legal power do so.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2020
According to custom in these conservative Hindu communities, while weddings are often solemnized at very young ages, a bride typically is sent to live with her husband’s family and consummate the union in her teens.
—Author: Shashank Bengali, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2018
Paper can also help us with solemnizing our transactions — making them official.
—David Scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Apr. 2018
There is no marker to solemnize the death of the Spurs' unmatched dynasty: RIP 1997-2017.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Feb. 2018
In one temple, an officiant claimed that his facility had solemnized 1,500 mixed marriages over the last five years.
—Ira Trivedi, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solemnize
Verb
-
Some of these caves have fireplaces, and some were consecrated and used as churches, known as rupestre.—
Aileen Weintraub,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 July 2025
-
And so, next door to the photo booth where Nic and Cierra consecrated their mutual vibe, cowgirl style, Hannah climbs onto Pepe’s muscular thighs and gets a little cowgirl make-out of her own.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
Both reflect and honor the evolving identity of the position, just in different ways.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
If substantiated, Russia's use of a maritime disaster site for clandestine military purposes represents both a security threat and a sensitive violation of an international agreement aimed at honoring the victims.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Odysseus, the Ithacan warrior who is as celebrated for craftiness as Achilles is for brute strength, devises a clever ruse in which the Greeks place a giant wooden horse outside Troy’s walls and pretend to sail away.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The Venezuelan American star has been celebrating the release of her debut album Bendito Verano, which came out last week and features collaborations with Young Miko, Justin Quiles, and Eladio Carrion.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And if you’re blessed enough to receive an inheritance abroad, don’t celebrate too quickly.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Onward and upward The unpleasantly steep hills that I'm blessed with between my home and the city often proved too much for the hub motor.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mitevska also refuses to sanctify Mother Teresa more than necessary, instead portraying her as a strict disciplinarian who believed in organizational practicality as much as in the inherent holiness of children.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
27 Aug. 2025
-
In Gaza, addressing famine means sanctifying life instead of normalizing violent death.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
By all means, this committee should aim to commemorate the freeing of slaves, Moore acknowledged, once the nationalists had taken over in earnest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Elon Musk and SpaceX are commemorating a major milestone in the commercial spaceflight company's satellite internet service, known as Starlink.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Earlier in the day, Knowles spoke with Sherri Shepherd on the Sherri show, and praised Blue Ivy for performing onstage with her mother in front of crowds of 70,000 people per night.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Nagy says Takaichi will likely praise Trump on his immigration policy, which has involved pursuing mass deportations and tightening restrictions on legal immigration.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Solemnize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemnize. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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