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
-
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw told reporters after the game about the decision to honor Vesia.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Christos honored their promise by gifting me with a wonderful collage in addition to my one-dollar paycheck.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Take a gander through a museum full of vintage Christmas decor for a nostalgic look back at how the holiday was celebrated throughout the years.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Nov. 2025
-
In places like Kemusuk, a village near Yogyakarta where he was born, his image is everywhere – from museum memorabilia celebrating his life to the souvenir T-shirts with his smiling face.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As long as the message hasn’t changed and people are still blessed and inspired, that’s all that matters.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Sands points to data showing that the world has gotten substantially better at finding people with TB since the World Health Organization blessed the AI technology in 2021 and released a toolkit on how to properly calibrate it to each local population and setting.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 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
-
September marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which Beijing commemorated with a massive military parade.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Patty Estrada, manager of the Ramona Cemetery District, invited residents and others with family buried at the cemetery to commemorate the tradition by decorating their family burial area.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
He is praised by some for policies that fueled rapid economic growth and relative political stability.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Moyes praised the reaction from supporters.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Solemnize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemnize. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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