SOLEMNIZE Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

solemnize

verb

Definition of solemnize

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 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 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

In Sugar Land, Texas, a 90-foot statue of the deity Hanuman, consecrated in 2024 at a temple complex, continues to draw disparaging comments, including one YouTube personality who recently urged its demolition.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
The King’s wife, Queen Mette-Marit, is also expected to be consecrated during the ceremony.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of consecrate

Verb

DJs take over late on Fridays and Saturdays, while Sundays belong to samba and feijoada meals, honoring the local tradition of gathering with loved ones on weekends to enjoy the black bean and meat stew.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
It's filled with favorite foods, drinks and treats — from Mexican Coke to Ecuadorian sodas — honoring people as individuals.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of honor

Verb

For the last five decades, the CZMA has been celebrated as a bipartisan co-management framework that gave coastal and Great Lakes states the power to review and object to federal projects that affect their shorelines.

— Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
In her new role, Danielle will help celebrate her aunt's life and accomplishments while offering a personal perspective on the woman behind the music, according to a press release announcing the appointment.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of celebrate

Verb

His eight-song set, which I was blessed to experience firsthand, was sparsely arranged—the accompaniment amounted to a set of brass bells, a bass guitar, and Cox’s trusty SP-404—yet transfixing all the same.

— Walden Green, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
After Mass, Cardinal Blase Cupich blessed a delegation traveling to Rome to meet with Pope Leo.

— Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of bless

Verb

Guns became sacred, and violence was increasingly justified, if not sanctified.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
The church has always preached that humans are created in God’s image; by assuming the messy fragility of human form, God’s son sanctified human experience.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of sanctify

Verb

And although Fawkes never saw Parliament burn, English crowds light fireworks and Guy Fawkes effigies every November 5 to commemorate the plan that went up in smoke.

— Lucia Barnum, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Oct. 2026
There are plenty of events in metro Atlanta to commemorate the month, and historical sites and state parks offer another way to learn about and honor this important part of our state’s and nation’s history.

— Mary Caldwell, AJC.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of commemorate

Verb

The self-styling of Rider’s shows has been widely praised, as has the scenography of the re-see, which offers an original approach to presenting products through accumulation, layering and a play on color variations or monochromatic schemes.

— Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026
Paul praised the concept of residential cruising but said the shipowner lacked the expertise to make the business financially sustainable.

— Sopheng Cheang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of praise

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“Solemnize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemnize. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of solemnize

verb

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