ceremonial
1
4.6
- noun
- /ˌsɛrəˈmoʊniəl/
- Formal
:
ceremonia
- I represent the House during ceremonial events, including state visits.
- Pueblo ceremonials
Examples
-
When the day comes, there'll be a grand public ceremonial.
-
But his successors in Cairo were merely ceremonial figures, religious leaders with little power.
-
His role in activities seen as economic or ceremonial also provided him with political power.
Academic text (2004) -
But as a matter of practice, except in the most ceremonial of circumstances, just the primary ones were mentioned.
Fiction book (2002) -
And so I am glad to have met you for the first time, as I did, sir, on a simple and heart-warming occasion, rather than at some military ceremonial.
-
There are Native scholars who say that non-Native students should simply say, "No," when invited into Native ceremonials.
Academic text (1996) -
Concentrating on the ceremonials integral to Pueblo life, Pena painted her world and her place in it.
Academic text (1994) -
The formal ceremonial held in the city hall celebrated the anniversary of independence.
-
During the annual awards night, there will be a ceremonial handing over of trophies to the winners.
-
Everyone attended the ceremonial gathering to honor the contributions of local heroes.
Synonyms
901
2.5
A formal event that follows traditional rules for a special occasion
367
4.2
A religious meeting for public worship, often in a church
124
6.3
A formal ceremony often held as part of a religious tradition
75
3.7
A public religious ceremony with formal rituals
74
4.2
A formal social event such as a party or ceremony
15
6.0
A ceremony to honor and remember people or events
6
4.7
A formal event to mark or honor a special day
5
8.7
To make a place or object sacred in a special religious ceremony
3
2.8
An event where people meet to celebrate or spend time together
1
4.9
A formal gathering with planned rituals to mark an important event
A formal public ceremony that makes a marriage or other rite official
Compounds
A large metal plate people hit to make a loud sound at important moments in ceremonies
How Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
ceremonial = ceremonial (semi-transparent) = ceremony + al
The noun is formed by conversion from the adjective 'ceremonial', which is itself transparently built from 'ceremony' + '-al'.
Etymology
The word ceremonial comes from ceremony and the Latin ceremonia, meaning 'formal ritual', so a ceremonial is a formal event or act that follows special rules.