ceremony

cer·e·mo·ny (s

-m

)

n. pl. cer·e·mo·nies

1. A formal act or set of acts performed as prescribed by ritual or custom: a wedding ceremony; the Japanese tea ceremony.

2. A conventional social gesture or act of courtesy: the ceremony of shaking hands when introduced.

3. A formal act without intrinsic purpose; an empty form: ignored the ceremony of asking for comments from other committee members.

4. Strict observance of formalities or etiquette: The head of state was welcomed with full ceremony.

[Middle English ceremonie, from Latin caerimnia, religious rite.]

ceremony

Noun

pl -nies

1. a formal act or ritual performed for a special occasion: a wedding ceremony

2. formally polite behaviour

3. stand on ceremony to insist on or act with excessive formality [Latin caerimonia what is sacred]

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	ceremony - a formal event performed on a special occasion; "a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor" ceremonial, ceremonial occasion, observance social function, social occasion, occasion, affair, function - a vaguely specified social event; "the party was quite an affair"; "an occasion arranged to honor the president"; "a seemingly endless round of social functions" circumstance - formal ceremony about important occasions; "pomp and circumstance" funeral - a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated; "hundreds of people attended his funeral" hymeneals, nuptials, wedding, wedding ceremony - the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed pageantry, pageant - a rich and spectacular ceremony dedication - a ceremony in which something (as a building) is dedicated to some goal or purpose opening - a ceremony accompanying the start of some enterprise commemoration, memorialisation, memorialization - a ceremony to honor the memory of someone or something military ceremony - a formal ceremony performed by military personnel induction, initiation, installation - a formal entry into an organization or position or office; "his initiation into the club"; "he was ordered to report for induction into the army"; "he gave a speech as part of his installation into the hall of fame" exercise - (usually plural) a ceremony that involves processions and speeches; "academic exercises" fire walking - the ceremony of walking barefoot over hot stones or a bed of embers formalities, formality - a requirement of etiquette or custom; "a mere formality" Maundy - a public ceremony on Maundy Thursday when the monarch distributes Maundy money potlatch - a ceremonial feast held by some Indians of the northwestern coast of North America (as in celebrating a marriage or a new accession) in which the host gives gifts to tribesmen and others to display his superior wealth (sometimes, formerly, to his own impoverishment)
	2.	ceremony - any activity that is performed in an especially solemn elaborate or formal way; "the ceremony of smelling the cork and tasting the wine"; "he makes a ceremony of addressing his golf ball"; "he disposed of it without ceremony" activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" chanoyu, tea ceremony - an ancient ritual for preparing and serving and drinking tea
	3.	ceremony - the proper or conventional behavior on some solemn occasion; "an inaugural ceremony" groundbreaking, groundbreaking ceremony - the ceremonial breaking of the ground to formally begin a construction project purgation, purification - a ceremonial cleansing from defilement or uncleanness by the performance of appropriate rites activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" lustrum - a ceremonial purification of the Roman population every five years following the census religious ceremony, religious ritual - a ceremony having religious meaning military ceremony - a military custom performed in observance of some event or anniversary presentation - the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward); "she gave the trophy but he made the presentation"