Ceremony

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛɹ.ɪ.mə.ni/

Definitions

1. A formal event held to mark an important occasion, often following traditional customs or rituals
2. a formal ritual or observance performed to honor an important occasion or mark a significant social or religious event
3. a structured proceeding involving prescribed actions and symbolic gestures conducted for a meaningful purpose or celebration

Etymology: The Romans had a tradition that a single word could carry both reverence and ritual. "Caerimonia" meant sacredness or awe, and it was used for sacred rites in general. Its exact origin is uncertain, and the Latin form itself appears in variant spellings, "caeremonia" and later "cerimonia," which shows how scribes handled it over time. The word reached English in Middle English as "cerymonye," borrowed from that Latin root. Its early sense stayed close to the religious world: formal observances tied to worship and sacred practice. The broader sense of any prescribed, symbolic proceeding for a celebration grew out of that core, so a wedding or inauguration today still inherits the solemnity the Romans attached to sacred rites.

Synonyms: ritual, observance, celebration

Antonyms: informality