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rite of passage

rite of passage

30 5.7
A ceremony that marks an important change in a person's life, for example becoming an adult
  • noun
  • /raɪt əv ˈpæsaʤ/
translation icon : rito de paso
  • Getting married is often viewed as a rite of passage that symbolizes the transition to a new family life.
  • rites of passage to manhood
  • rite of passage, a ritual
  • rites of passage marking the transition

And really, both of these books talk about a rite of passage for young men.

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Examples

  • The graduation ceremony is a significant rite of passage marking the transition from student to professional.

  • And really, both of these books talk about a rite of passage for young men.

  • As in, I have done this rite of passage and I am now in the next stage.

  • And in fact, for centuries, this has been a rite of passage, and it still is today.

  • And the way we do that, fellas, the way we do this is by creating a rite of passage experience for our sons.

  • And I went through a lot of kind of rites of passage for a young, young male going into adulthood.

  • For college-educated young adults in the United States, internships have become a career rite of passage.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Terri had a talent for experiencing every adolescent rite of passage before I got to it.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • In many cultures, turning 18 is celebrated as a rite of passage into adulthood.

Synonyms

rite
vsrite of passage
  • Formal
124 6.3

A formal ceremony often held as part of a religious tradition

is a ceremony specifically marking life transitions rather than any ceremonial act
coming of age
vsrite of passage
20 4.1

The time when a young person becomes an adult and starts adult life

is a ceremony that marks that transition rather than the internal process

How Significant

rite of passage
30 5.7
initiation
45 5.1
ceremony
901 2.5
celebration
430 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

rite + of + passage

The meaning 'a ceremony marking an important transition' is directly derivable from combining 'rite' (a formal ceremony) with 'passage' (the process of passing between states); the prepositional link 'of' simply links the ceremony to the transition. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common (e.g. French 'rite de passage', Spanish 'rito de paso'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Rite of passage comes from two simple images: rite means a ceremony and passage means a crossing or move from one stage to another, like a young person walking through a gate to join the adult world. That's why the phrase means 'a ceremony that marks an important life transition'.