ritual 1 of 2

noun

Definition of ritualnext
1
as in habit
a usual manner of behaving or doing her morning ritual is to enjoy a bracing cup of coffee while reading the newspaper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in ceremony
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules a ritual that the ancient peoples of that country believed would bring rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

ritual

2 of 2

adjective

as in ceremonial

Related Words

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 ritual
Noun
Indoor options are varied and include yoga, Qigong, sauna rituals, sound baths, and many other activities to nurture body and mind. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 Throughout the book, Przystup shares ways of infusing the seasons into her daily life and home with crafty decor, rituals, hosting, and more. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
In its last edition, the biennale focused on the theme of kawruh, a Javenese word that means deep, lived knowledge that comes from habit and ritual. — News Desk, Artforum, 9 Oct. 2026 Get an Ayurvedic treatment at the hotel’s top-notch spa, and finish up with a ritual aromatic bath overlooking the Himalayas. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ritual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ritual
  1. habit
  2. ceremony
  3. ceremonial
  4. practice
  5. rite
  6. liturgical
  7. trick
  8. observance
Noun
  • She was arrested and charged with second-degree child endangerment after her daughter reportedly arrived at school with sunburns, sparking a media frenzy over Krentcil's extreme tanning habits and parenting.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • YPulse’s reporting on Gen Z shopping habits digs into how younger buyers can treat finding affordable alternatives as a legit shopping achievement.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of habit
Noun
  • Machado was briefly detained in January 2025, following a protest against Maduro's planned swearing-in ceremony, and went into hiding in Venezuela for 11 months.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Adebayo, who took over as Heat captain when Haslem retired, is also on a path that could result in a Heat jersey retirement ceremony down the road.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of ceremony
Adjective
  • While the post is primarily ceremonial, the direct election gives the president greater political authority.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • During Friday’s Game 1, the MLB and the MCU teamed up for a special preview of the upcoming movie, in which Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic takes the mound for the ceremonial first pitch to Joseph Quinn’s Human Torch.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of ceremonial
Noun
  • The latest push to end the practice began in June after an 18-year-old Indian tourist, Romanch Mahajan, died after jumping from a runaway carriage.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Act, which has been introduced to the Senate but not yet been enacted into law, seeks to establish a program for the active remediation of orbital debris as well as requiring the development of uniform orbital debris standard practices.
    — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of practice
Noun
  • The risk of transmission also limits contact with the patients even after death, depriving families of closure and the opportunity to observe their preferred burial rites.
    — Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Cremation and burial cost Japanese funerary rites involve both cremation and burial.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of rite
Adjective
  • Along with the album, U2 released two surprise EPs this year, Days of Ash and Easter Lily, that turn out to be conceptually linked to the new album via the liturgical calendar, with carnival preceding Lent and Easter.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For seventeen years, graduation season had carried a liturgical cadence for him.
    — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of liturgical
Noun
  • Today, our constructor has reached into his evidently limitless bag of tricks to pull out a doozy of a Thursday grid.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The subtle, but unmistakable, undercurrent of apple sweetness struck me as a bit of a magic trick in a bread that, otherwise, to the eye and hand was just a soft white loaf.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • On White Cane Awareness Day, an annual observance celebrating the achievements and independence of visually impaired individuals, Darnes and more than 50 other veterans received a free pair of Meta smart glasses.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Dedicated to empowering Black Philadelphians Philadelphia Martyrs Day is an annual observance that pays homage to the five Philadelphia men who fought for Black suffrage and were killed in the 1871 election.
    — Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of observance

Browse Nearby Words

rites
ritual
ritualistic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ritual. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ritual

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ritual

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All