What does ceremony mean?

Definitions for ceremony
ˈsɛr əˌmoʊ nicer·e·mo·ny

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word ceremony.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. ceremony, ceremonial, ceremonial occasion, observancenoun

    a formal event performed on a special occasion

    "a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor"

  2. ceremonynoun

    any activity that is performed in an especially solemn elaborate or formal way

    "the ceremony of smelling the cork and tasting the wine"; "he makes a ceremony of addressing his golf ball"; "he disposed of it without ceremony"

  3. ceremonynoun

    the proper or conventional behavior on some solemn occasion

    "an inaugural ceremony"

Wiktionary

  1. ceremonynoun

    A ritual with religious significance.

  2. ceremonynoun

    An official gathering to celebrate, commemorate, or otherwise mark some event.

  3. ceremonynoun

    Formal socially-established behaviour often in relation to people of different ranks.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. CEREMONYnoun

    Etymology: ceremonia, Lat.

    Bring her up to the high altar, that she may
    The sacred ceremonies partake. Edmund Spenser, Epithalamium.

    He is superstitious grown of late,
    Quite from the main opinion he held once
    Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies. William Shakespeare, J. Cæsar.

    Disrobe the images,
    If you find them deck’d with ceremony. William Shakespeare, J. Cæsar.

    The sauce to meat is ceremony;
    Meeting were bare without it. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

    Not to use ceremonies at all, is to teach others not to use them again, and so diminish respect to himself. Francis Bacon.

    What art thou, thou idle ceremony?
    What kind of god art thou, that suffer’st more
    Of mortal grief, than do thy worshippers?
    Art thou aught else but place, degree, and form? William Shakespeare, Henry V.

    A coarser place,
    Where pomp and ceremonies enter’d not,
    Where greatness was shut out, and bigness well forgot. John Dryden, Fables.

Wikipedia

  1. Ceremony

    A ceremony (UK: , US: ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin caerimonia.

ChatGPT

  1. ceremony

    A ceremony is a formal event or ritual performed on special occasions, often for religious, cultural, social, or institutional purposes. It often involves a series of actions or performances conducted in a prescribed order, and may include rites, rituals, speeches, music, dancing, or feasting. Examples of ceremonies include weddings, funerals, graduations, inaugurations, and award ceremonies.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Ceremonynoun

    ar act or series of acts, often of a symbolical character, prescribed by law, custom, or authority, in the conduct of important matters, as in the performance of religious duties, the transaction of affairs of state, and the celebration of notable events; as, the ceremony of crowning a sovereign; the ceremonies observed in consecrating a church; marriage and baptismal ceremonies

  2. Ceremonynoun

    behavior regulated by strict etiquette; a formal method of performing acts of civility; forms of civility prescribed by custom or authority

  3. Ceremonynoun

    a ceremonial symbols; an emblem, as a crown, scepter, garland, etc

  4. Ceremonynoun

    a sign or prodigy; a portent

  5. Etymology: [F. crmonie, L. caerimonia; perh. akin to E. create and from a root signifying to do or make.]

Wikidata

  1. Ceremony

    A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin caerimonia.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Ceremony

    ser′e-mo-ni, n. a sacred rite: the outward form, religious or otherwise: any empty form without inwardness: pomp or state; a portent or omen.—adj. Ceremō′nial, relating to ceremony.—n. outward form: a system of ceremonies.—n. Ceremō′nialism, adherence to outward form.—adv. Ceremō′nially.—adj. Ceremō′nious, full of ceremony: particular in observing forms: precise.—adv. Ceremō′niously.—n. Ceremōniousness.—Master of ceremonies, the person who directs the form and order of the ceremonies to be observed on some public occasion. [Fr.—L. cærimonia, sanctity.]

Editors Contribution

  1. ceremony

    A type of event for a specific purpose.

    The wedding ceremony was so very beautiful and about unity and love.


    Submitted by MaryC on February 7, 2020  

Suggested Resources

  1. ceremony

    Song lyrics by ceremony -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by ceremony on the Lyrics.com website.

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British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'ceremony' in Nouns Frequency: #1724

How to pronounce ceremony?

How to say ceremony in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of ceremony in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of ceremony in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of ceremony in a Sentence

  1. Peter Beattie:

    The last thing they want is standing in a field for an hour waiting to get into a closing ceremony, that was clearly a stuff-up. Now, I'm sorry, if I get a chance I'll apologize to Kurt (Fearnley) this morning.

  2. Timothy Shelton:

    After the ceremony he realizedhow special the moment was to him. Appreciative for one thing.

  3. Joanne Liu:

    They see their relatives sprayed with chlorine and wrapped in plastic bags, buried without ceremony. Then they see their possessions burned.

  4. Kurt Vonnegut:

    What war has always been is a puberty ceremony. It's a very rough one, but you went away a boy and came back a man, maybe with an eye missing or whatever but godammit you were a man and people had to call you a man thereafter.

  5. Talladega College President Billy Hawkins:

    It’s about the students to have an opportunity to participate in this national stage, in this inaugural ceremony, it’s a civics ceremony. It’s not about politics.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

ceremony#1#6614#10000

Translations for ceremony

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"ceremony." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/ceremony>.

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