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ritual

 - 6 dictionary results

rit⋅u⋅al

  [rich-oo-uhl]
–noun
1. an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.
2. a system or collection of religious or other rites.
3. observance of set forms in public worship.
4. a book of rites or ceremonies.
5. a book containing the offices to be used by priests in administering the sacraments and for visitation of the sick, burial of the dead, etc.
6. a prescribed or established rite, ceremony, proceeding, or service: the ritual of the dead.
7. prescribed, established, or ceremonial acts or features collectively, as in religious services.
8. any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner.
9. a prescribed code of behavior regulating social conduct, as that exemplified by the raising of one's hat or the shaking of hands in greeting.
10. Psychiatry. a specific act, as hand-washing, performed repetitively to a pathological degree, occurring as a common symptom of obsessive-compulsive neurosis.
–adjective
11. of the nature of or practiced as a rite or ritual: a ritual dance.
12. of or pertaining to rites or ritual: ritual laws.
Use ritual in a Sentence
Origin:
1560–70; < L rītuālis, equiv. to rītu-, s. of rītus rite + -ālis -al 1

Related forms:
rit⋅u⋅al⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. See ceremony. 11. ceremonial, formal, sacramental.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To ritual
rit·u·al   (rĭch'ōō-əl)   
n.  

    1. The prescribed order of a religious ceremony.

    2. The body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship.

    3. The prescribed form of conducting a formal secular ceremony: the ritual of an inauguration.

    4. The body of ceremonies used by a fraternal organization.

    5. A ceremonial act or a series of such acts.

    6. The performance of such acts.

    7. A detailed method of procedure faithfully or regularly followed: My household chores have become a morning ritual.

    8. A state or condition characterized by the presence of established procedure or routine: "Prison was a ritual—reenacted daily, year in, year out. Prisoners came and went; generations came and went; and yet the ritual endured" (William H. Hallahan).

    1. The prescribed form of conducting a formal secular ceremony: the ritual of an inauguration.

    2. The body of ceremonies used by a fraternal organization.

    3. A ceremonial act or a series of such acts.

    4. The performance of such acts.

    5. A detailed method of procedure faithfully or regularly followed: My household chores have become a morning ritual.

    6. A state or condition characterized by the presence of established procedure or routine: "Prison was a ritual—reenacted daily, year in, year out. Prisoners came and went; generations came and went; and yet the ritual endured" (William H. Hallahan).

  3. A book of rites or ceremonial forms.

  4. rituals

    1. A ceremonial act or a series of such acts.

    2. The performance of such acts.

    3. A detailed method of procedure faithfully or regularly followed: My household chores have become a morning ritual.

    4. A state or condition characterized by the presence of established procedure or routine: "Prison was a ritual—reenacted daily, year in, year out. Prisoners came and went; generations came and went; and yet the ritual endured" (William H. Hallahan).

    1. A detailed method of procedure faithfully or regularly followed: My household chores have become a morning ritual.

    2. A state or condition characterized by the presence of established procedure or routine: "Prison was a ritual—reenacted daily, year in, year out. Prisoners came and went; generations came and went; and yet the ritual endured" (William H. Hallahan).

adj.  

  1. Associated with or performed according to a rite or ritual: a priest's ritual garments; a ritual sacrifice.

  2. Being part of an established routine: a ritual glass of milk before bed.


[From Latin rītuālis, of rites, from rītus, rite; see rite.]
rit'u·al·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

ritual  (adj.)
1570, from L. ritualis "relating to (religious) rites," from ritus "rite" (see rite). The noun is first recorded 1649. Ritualistic first recorded 1850.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: rit·u·al
Pronunciation: 'rich-(&-)w&l
Function: noun
: any act or practice regularly repeated in a set precise manner forrelief of anxiety rituals>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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ritual rit·u·al (rĭch'&oomacr;-əl)
n.
A detailed act or series of acts carried out by an individual to relieve anxiety or to forestall the development of anxiety.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

ritual

the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by tradition or by sacerdotal decree. Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behaviour exhibited by all known societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.

Learn more about ritual with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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