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
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Generations of cinephiles promoted a version of Agee’s catechism, consecrating Griffith as film’s supreme technical and aesthetic innovator, an almost Promethean figure.
-
By visiting the Basilica and blessing the new tower, the pope follows in the footsteps of Pope Benedict XVI who in 2010 consecrated the Sagrada Familia.
Verb
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While June 27 was a day to honor and celebrate Wiley, Turner said June 28 marked the beginning of the fight for answers and accountability.
-
The 83-year-old singer and songwriter has been honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's National Patriot Award and has entertained troops on more than 30 United Service Organizations (USO) tours, according to Soldier Valley Spirits.
Verb
-
Moroccan supporters, who had arrived in force, marching toward the stadium amid pounding drums and chants, celebrated their team’s victory and advancement.
-
Best Amazon Prime Day Travel Deals Vacation season is in full swing, and Amazon is celebrating with huge Prime Day deals on all sorts of travel essentials.
Verb
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Syd, bless her, as well as Ayo Edebiri, is the cautious realist in that partnership.
-
But while most of the apartment has been blessed by the magic of Angela’s personal touch, two rooms remain in limbo.
Verb
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But far from celebrating or sanctifying the throwing off of English rule, the story’s shocking ending portrays the patriots as a fiendish mob, and casts doubt on the bedrock American faith in prosperity.
-
When a couple marry in a church, synagogue or mosque, the ceremony does more than sanctify a union.
Verb
-
The stage in question was newly erected on the White House lawn for the Freedom 250 celebration, planned to commemorate the semiquincentennial of America's founding.
-
To commemorate America’s 250th birthday, the Social Security Administration will issue limited-edition Social Security cards to babies born from Thursday to the end of the year.
Verb
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Swift and Nicks have a long relationship and have often praised each other in public.
-
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also praised the selection, saying Schroyer’s background positions him to advance the administration's immigration enforcement goals and called on the Senate to act quickly to confirm him.
Cite this Entry
“Solemnize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemnize. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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