rite
Formal traditional ceremony
A rite is a formal ceremony or ritual, especially one with religious or cultural significance: funeral rites, rites of passage, initiation rites.
The word suggests prescribed actions performed in a traditional manner.
A rite of passage marks a transition from one stage of life to another—birth, coming of age, marriage, death.
Formal worship structure
- processionFormal moving line
- solemnitySerious, dignified quality
- benedictionFormal spoken blessing
- homilyReligious discourse on scripture
congregation · altar · vestments · incense · chanting · sanctuary · clergy · acolyte
Sacred ritual conveying grace
- holyDedicated to the divine
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- sanctifiedMade sacred through blessing
- consecrationDedicating to sacred purpose
devotion · worship · piety · reverence · blessing · prayer · pilgrimage · fasting
Youth becoming adulthood
- baptismRitual water purification ceremony
- confirmationEstablishing something as true
- quinceañeraFifteenth birthday celebration
- walkaboutExtended journey on foot
scarification · circumcision · hazing · induction · investiture · ordination · novitiate · debutante
Spoken magical formula
- spellArrange letters correctly
- invocationCalling upon higher authority
- sigilMagical or heraldic symbol
- summoningCalling forth deliberately
evocation · séance · conjuration · sacrifice · offering · libation · augury · divination
Habitual group practice
- practiceRepeated work toward mastery
- observanceKeeping of customs
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
ancestral · tribal · ceremonial · seasonal · annual · sacred · taboo · prescribed
liturgy
Formal worship structure
- processionFormal moving line
- solemnitySerious, dignified quality
- benedictionFormal spoken blessing
homily · congregation · altar · vestments · incense · chanting · sanctuary · clergy · acolyte · officiant
sacrament
Sacred ritual conveying grace
- holyDedicated to the divine
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- sanctifiedMade sacred through blessing
consecration · devotion · worship · piety · reverence · blessing · prayer · pilgrimage · fasting · penance
coming-of-age
Youth becoming adulthood
- baptismRitual water purification ceremony
- confirmationEstablishing something as true
- quinceañeraFifteenth birthday celebration
walkabout · scarification · circumcision · hazing · induction · investiture · ordination · novitiate · debutante · manhood
incantation
Spoken magical formula
- spellArrange letters correctly
- invocationCalling upon higher authority
- sigilMagical or heraldic symbol
summoning · evocation · séance · conjuration · sacrifice · offering · libation · augury · divination · scrying
custom
Habitual group practice
- practiceRepeated work toward mastery
- observanceKeeping of customs
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
folklore · ancestral · tribal · ceremonial · seasonal · annual · sacred · taboo · prescribed · formulaic
transition
Change from one state
death · marriage · funeral · graduation · betrothal · wake · burial · cremation · mourning · rebirth
- ritualinvocation, incantation, litany, supplication, burnt offering
- culturemusic taste, beliefs, food preferences, custom, festivals
- sacredholy, sacred, sanctity, sacredness, holiness
- ceremonieswedding ceremony, wedding, weddings, graduation, graduations
- homophoneshomophones, hear, here, see, sea
- ritualsceremony, sacrament, blessing, prayer, baptism
riteimprovisation
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
informality · ad-lib · happenstance · spontaneity · freestyle
riteprofanity
Vulgar or obscene speech
desecration · sacrilege · routine · chore · banality
riteinnovation
Creating something original
novelty · improvisation · deviation · aberration · departure
- sacred ritesReligious ceremonial practices
- rite of passageTransition-marking ceremony
- last ritesSacrament for the dying
- ritual killingCeremonial taking of life
- drinking ritualFormalized communal beverage consumption
- healing ritualsCeremonies intended to cure
ritual, rituals, rites, ritualistic, ritually, ritualism, ritualist, rite of passage, ritualists