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View synonyms for

ceremony

[ ser-uh-moh-nee ]

noun

plural ceremonies.
  1. the formal activities conducted on some solemn or important public or state occasion:

    the coronation ceremony.

  2. a formal religious or sacred observance; a solemn rite:

    a marriage ceremony.

  3. formal observances or gestures collectively; ceremonial observances:

    The breathless messenger had no time for ceremony.

  4. any formal act or observance, especially a meaningless one:

    His low bow was mere ceremony.

  5. a gesture or act of politeness or civility:

    the ceremony of a handshake.

  6. strict adherence to conventional forms; formality:

    to leave a room without ceremony.



ceremony

/ ˈɛɪəɪ /

noun

  1. a formal act or ritual, often set by custom or tradition, performed in observation of an event or anniversary

    a ceremony commemorating Shakespeare's birth

  2. a religious rite or series of rites
  3. a courteous gesture or act

    the ceremony of toasting the Queen

  4. ceremonial observances or gestures collectively

    the ceremony of a monarchy

  5. stand on ceremony
    to insist on or act with excessive formality
  6. without ceremony
    in a casual or informal manner
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ··n noun plural preceremonies
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ceremony1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ceremonie, from Medieval Latin ŧōԾ, from Latin ōԾ “sacred rite”; replacing Middle English cerymonye, from Middle French cerimonie, from Latin, as above
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ceremony1

C14: from Medieval Latin ŧōԾ, from Latin ōԾ what is sacred, a religious rite
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. stand on ceremony, to behave in a formal or ceremonious manner.

More idioms and phrases containing ceremony

see stand on (ceremony) .
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Synonym Study

Ceremony, rite, ritual refer to set observances and acts traditional in religious services or on public occasions. Ceremony applies to more or less formal dignified acts on religious or public occasions: a marriage ceremony; an inaugural ceremony. A rite is an established, prescribed, or customary form of religious or other solemn practice: the rite of baptism. Ritual refers to the form of conducting worship or to a code of ceremonies in general: Masonic rituals.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Earlier this year he was removed from the European Parliament for disrupting a Holocaust memorial ceremony.

From

The Panthers retired Johnson's number 47 jersey following a ceremony before their game with Fife Flyers in December 2024.

From

Should Carney decide to reshuffle his Cabinet, there will be a ceremony with the governor general, but until then, the ministers stay in their posts.

From

The winner will be announced on Thursday 26 June at a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool, marking the first time the event has ever been held outside of the UK capital.

From

The human remains were repatriated in an emotional ceremony held at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, attended by representatives from Hawaii.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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