noun
rite
RYTE/raɪt/
A formal ceremonial act or observance.
The minister performs the baptismal rite by pouring water over the woman's bowed head.
Etymology
Latin ritus meant an established custom, especially a religious observance. This connects a rite with an act performed in a prescribed manner, rather than simply any ceremonial action.
In context
I went to the Jiang ancestral hall to perform the ancestral rite and retrieve the family punishment tool
More examples
- The family gathers to perform the funeral rites.
- This initiation rite welcomes new members into the community.
- Graduation serves as a rite of passage into adulthood.
Forms
rite · rites
ritual adjective — Relating to established ceremonies or practices.
Similar words
- ritual
- Emphasizes the established sequence of actions within a ceremony.
- ceremony
- Can name the entire event rather than one prescribed act.
- observance
- Emphasizes honoring a custom, religious rule, or special occasion.