as in to consecrate
formal
to mark (something) officially or formally especially with a religious ceremony
The priest solemnized their marriage.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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
-
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.
-
Leo will formally consecrate the tower on Wednesday night.
Verb
-
At the San Diego event, the guide also promoted one restaurant, Kato in Los Angeles, to the two-star list and honored nine new restaurants with one-star awards, including Naides in San Francisco, one of the few Filipino cuisine restaurants in the nation with that distinction.
-
Chen and Hu started the Alan Hu Foundation to honor their son who wanted to be a psychiatrist to help others like him.
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
-
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
-
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 celebration will include fireworks, military bands, flyovers, tributes to the Armed Services, and a speech by the president that the organization said would commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary and chart a course for America's next chapter.
-
The blue-and-orange bins were put out last week by the New York City Department of Sanitation to commemorate the Knicks’ first NBA championship in more than 50 years.
Verb
-
Many supported their battle, praising them for taking the step.
-
Sebastián Beccacece, the coach of La Tri, praised Ecuador fans in his pre-game news conference.
Cite this Entry
“Solemnize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemnize. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
