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🙏 A rule follower 📜 A rites expert
ritualist

ritualist

1 7.8
A person who follows religious ceremonies exactly and insists others do too
  • noun
  • /ˈrɪtʃuəlɪst/
: ritualista
  • In many cultures, the ritualist plays a crucial role in guiding the participants through traditional practices.

Examples

  • And I'm not talking about the rigid ritualist kind, but more of the kind that is built on relationships.

    Blog text (6)

  • The Anglicans of the Oxford Movement took far more interest in Sarum than the Catholics, but even they mostly limited it to a reference for which to dress up Prayer Book services in a more Catholic and ritualist appearance.

    Blog text (27)

  • The ritualist led the community in a solemn ceremony to mark the change of seasons.

  • As a dedicated ritualist, she ensured that every detail of the ceremony was followed precisely.

Synonyms

traditionalist
vsritualist
20 5.6

A person who holds strongly to old customs and resists change

prioritizes strict ceremonial observance over merely holding traditional beliefs
conformist
vsritualist
6 5.7

A person who follows rules and usual ways instead of trying new ideas

focuses on observing ceremonial practices rather than general conduct
conventionalist
vsritualist
1 8.2

A person who prefers traditional ways and customs

emphasizes ceremonial observance rather than simply preferring tradition
rigorist
vsritualist
  • Formal
1 9.5

A person who is very strict about following rules, especially in religion or ethics

focuses on strict observance of ceremonial practices rather than general principles

How Strict

ritualist
1 7.8
devout
53 5.7
participant
332 2.4
casual
74 2.8

Surface Forms

ritualist singular
ritualists plural

Morphology

ritualist = ritual (transparent) = ritual + ist

The sense 'advocates or practices strict observance of rituals' is a straightforward agentive extension of 'ritual' with '-ist'.

Etymology

Ritualist comes from the word rite ('ceremony') and the ending -ist ('person who does'). That's why a ritualist can also mean someone who insists on following every part of a ceremony very strictly.