Coronations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A ceremonial event that marks the formal crowning of a monarch
2. An occasion that includes the ritualistic anointment and ascension of a sovereign
3. Formal ceremonies celebrating the crowning of a monarch, involving traditional rites and honors

Etymology: Coronations is simply the plural of coronation, so it refers to more than one such ceremony. The noun itself is a Late Middle English borrowing from Anglo-Norman and Old French "coronacion," which came from the Late Latin "coronationem," built on the Latin verb "coronare," meaning to crown with a garland or wreath. That verb rests on "corona," the Latin word for garland, wreath or crown. The ending "-ation" marks a noun for an action or its result, so a coronation is literally the act of crowning. The same base gave English "crown" and "corona" as well, though the modern sense of the word developed from the act of placing a crown on a monarch's head.

Synonyms: enthronements, crowning