ritual

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rit·u·al

(rĭch′o͞o-əl)

a. A ceremony in which the actions and wording follow a prescribed form and order.

b. The body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship or by an organization: according to Catholic ritual.

2. A book of rites or ceremonial forms.

3. A set of actions that are conducted routinely in the same manner: My household chores have become a morning ritual.

4. Zoology A set of actions that an animal performs in a fixed sequence, often as a means of communication: the greeting ritual in baboons.

adj.

1. Associated with or performed according to a rite or ritual: a priest's ritual garments; a ritual sacrifice.

2. Being part of an established routine: a ritual glass of milk before bed.

[From Latin rītuālis, of rites, from rītus, rite; see rite.]

rit′u·al·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ritual

(ˈrɪtjʊəl)

1. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the prescribed or established form of a religious or other ceremony

2. (Other Non-Christian Religions) the prescribed or established form of a religious or other ceremony

3. (Ecclesiastical Terms) such prescribed forms in general or collectively

4. (Other Non-Christian Religions) such prescribed forms in general or collectively

5. stereotyped activity or behaviour

6. (Psychology) psychol any repetitive behaviour, such as hand-washing, performed by a person with a compulsive personality disorder

7. any formal act, institution, or procedure that is followed consistently: the ritual of the law.

adj

8. (Ecclesiastical Terms) of, relating to, or characteristic of religious, social, or other rituals

9. (Other Non-Christian Religions) of, relating to, or characteristic of religious, social, or other rituals

[C16: from Latin rītuālis, from rītus rite]

ˈritually adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

rit•u•al

(ˈrɪtʃ u əl)

n.

a. an established procedure for a religious or other rite.

b. a system of such rites.

2. observance of set forms in public worship.

3. a book of rites or ceremonies.

4. prescribed, established, or ceremonial acts or features collectively.

5. any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner.

6. Psychiatry. a specific act, as hand-washing, performed repetitively to a pathological degree.

adj.

7. being or practiced as a rite or ritual: a ritual dance.

8. of or pertaining to rites or ritual: ritual laws.

[1560–70; < Latin rītuālis=rītu-, s. of rītus rite + -ālis -al¹]

rit′u•al•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	ritual - any customary observance or practice rite custom, usage, usance - accepted or habitual practice ceremonial dance, ritual dance, ritual dancing - a dance that is part of a religious ritual betrothal, espousal - the act of becoming betrothed or engaged marriage ceremony, wedding, marriage - the act of marrying; the nuptial ceremony; "their marriage was conducted in the chapel" rite of passage - a ritual performed in some cultures at times when an individual changes status (as from adolescence to adulthood)
	2.	ritual - the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies ablution - the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels practice, pattern - a customary way of operation or behavior; "it is their practice to give annual raises"; "they changed their dietary pattern" solemnisation, solemnization, celebration - the public performance of a sacrament or solemn ceremony with all appropriate ritual; "the celebration of marriage" Communion, Holy Communion, manduction, sacramental manduction - the act of participating in the celebration of the Eucharist; "the governor took Communion with the rest of the congregation"
	3.	ritual - stereotyped behavior habit, use - (psychology) an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation; may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition; "owls have nocturnal habits"; "she had a habit twirling the ends of her hair"; "long use had hardened him to it"
Adj.	1.	ritual - of or relating to or characteristic of religious rituals; "ritual killing"
	2.	ritual - of or relating to or employed in social rites or rituals; "a ritual dance of Haiti"; "sedate little colonial tribe with its ritual tea parties"- Nadine Gordimer

ritual

noun

1. ceremony, rite, ceremonial, sacrament, service, mystery, communion, observance, liturgy, solemnity This is the most ancient and holiest of the rituals.

2. custom, tradition, routine, convention, form, practice, procedure, habit, usage, protocol, formality, ordinance Italian culture revolves around the ritual of eating.

adjective

1. ceremonial, formal, conventional, routine, prescribed, stereotyped, customary, procedural, habitual, ceremonious Here, the conventions required me to make the ritual noises.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ritual

noun

1. A formal act or set of acts prescribed by ritual:

ceremonial, ceremony, liturgy, observance, office, rite, service.

2. A conventional social gesture or act without intrinsic purpose:

ceremony, form, formality.

adjective

Of or characterized by ceremony:

ceremonial, ceremonious, formal, liturgical, ritualistic.

Translations

شَعَائِريّ شَعِيرَةطَقْس كَنَسيطَقْسي

rituálrituální

ritualrituelceremoniel

Ritual rituell

τελετουργικό τελετουργικός τελετή

ritual

rituaalirituaalinen

rite rituel

טקס

ritualritualan

rituálisszertartásszertartásokszertartásosünnepélyes

helgisiîa-helgisiîir, ritúal

rituale usanza rito

儀式儀式の

의례적인의식

ritueel

rituell ritual rituale

rytuał rytualny

ritual rito

ритуал ритуальный

rituálrituálny

obred

ritualrituell

เกี่ยวกับพิธีกรรมพิธีกรรมทางศาสนา

ayinâyinayinsel tören

lễ nghitheo lễ nghi

典礼典礼的礼仪式礼仪的

ritual

[ˈrɪtjʊəl]

A. ADJ

1. [dancing, murder] → ritual

2. (fig) (= conventional) → consabido
in the ritual phrase → en la expresión consagrada

B. N

1. (Rel) (Christian) → ritual m, ceremonia f; (non-Christian) → rito m

2. (fig) (= custom) → rito m, ritual m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ritual

[ˈrɪtʃuəl]

adj

[dancing, chanting, sacrifice, murder] → rituel(le)

[conventional] → rituel(le)

(RELIGION) → rituel m

(= habit) → rituel m

ritual

adj

→ rituell; ritual abuse → ritueller Missbrauch; ritual murder → Ritualmord m

(usu hum: = usual) comments → üblich; visit → üblich, gewohnheitsmäßig

n → Ritual nt; (pej also) → Zeremoniell nt no pl; the courtship ritual of frogs → das Paarungsverhalten der Frösche; he went through the same old ritual (fig) → er durchlief dasselbe alte Ritual or Zeremoniell; he went through the ritual of checking all the locks → er überprüfte nach dem üblichen Zeremoniell or Ritual, ob alles abgeschlossen war

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ritual

[ˈrɪtjʊəl] adj & n → rituale (m)

rite

(rait) noun

a solemn ceremony, especially a religious one. marriage rites.

ritual (ˈritʃuəl) noun

(a particular set of) traditional or fixed actions etc used in a religious etc ceremony. Christian rituals; the ritual of the Roman Catholic church.

adjective

forming (part of) a ritual or ceremony. a ritual dance/sacrifice.

ritual

→ شَعَائِريّ, شَعِيرَة rituál, rituální ritual, rituel Ritual, rituell τελετή, τελετουργικός ritual rituaali, rituaalinen rite, rituel ritual, ritualan rituale 儀式, 儀式の 의례적인, 의식 ritueel rituale, rituell rytuał, rytualny ritual ритуал, ритуальный ritual, rituell เกี่ยวกับพิธีกรรม, พิธีกรรมทางศาสนา ayin, ayinsel lễ nghi, theo lễ nghi 典礼, 典礼的

ritual

n ritual m

References in classic literature ?

Towards evening, when I felt assured that all his performances and rituals must be over, I went up to his room and knocked at the door; but no answer.

View in context

We call them the first men--we speak their language quite as much as we do our own; only in the rituals of the temple do we make any attempt to retain our mother tongue.

View in context

"These," said he, "are all that I have left to remind me of the adventure of the Musgrave Ritual."

View in context

(7) An act of communion -- the drinking of the potion here described -- was one of the most important pieces of ritual in the Eleusinian mysteries, as commemorating the sorrows of the goddess.

View in context

"He sends the Fire that kills," said he, in his deep voice, repeating part of the Ritual. The others gathered round and stared for a space.

View in context

Felton approached her, and said, "Lord de Winter, who is a Catholic, like yourself, madame, thinking that the deprivation of the rites and ceremonies of your church might be painful to you, has consented that you should read every day the ordinary of your Mass; and here is a book which contains the ritual."

View in context

Nothing about his betrothed pleased him more than her resolute determination to carry to its utmost limit that ritual of ignoring the "unpleasant" in which they had both been brought up.

View in context

A priest opened a book and, raising his hand, commenced to drone out a sing-song ritual. Salensus Oll reached for the hand of his bride.

View in context

I could imagine her sedately busy among her pots and pans, making a ritual of her household duties, so that they acquired a moral significance; I did not suppose that she was clever or could ever be amusing, but there was something in her grave intentness which excited my interest.

View in context

He had made a ritual of the kisses he gave her when he bade her good-night; first he kissed the palms of her hands (how thin the fingers were, the nails were beautiful, for she spent much time in manicuring them,) then he kissed her closed eyes, first the right one and then the left, and at last he kissed her lips.

View in context

The woman was about to plunge her knife into my heart when the lion interrupted the fiendish ritual. Come!

View in context

Some of the eyes were a trifle dim, but in a general way it may be said that at that interment there was lack of neither observance nor observation; Silas was indubitably dead, and none could have pointed out any ritual delinquency that would have justified him in coming back from the grave.