ceremony

noun

cer·​e·​mo·​ny ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē 

ˈse-rə-

plural ceremonies

1

: a formal act or series of acts prescribed by ritual, protocol, or convention

the marriage ceremony

2

a

: a conventional act of politeness or etiquette

the ceremony of introduction

b

: an action performed only formally with no deep significance

the custom had probably been long a mere ceremony

—C. Thirlwall

c

: a routine action performed with elaborate pomp

Liz Claiborne Inc. chief executive officer William McComb and Liz Claiborne New York creative director Isaac Mizrahi rang the closing bell [of the New York Stock Exchange], a daily ceremony they followed with the first-ever fashion show on the trading floor.

—Marc Karimzadeh

3

a

: prescribed procedures : usages

the ceremony attending an inauguration

b

: observance of an established code of civility or politeness

opened the door without ceremony and strode in

Synonyms

• ceremonial
• form
• formality
• observance
• rite
• ritual
• solemnity

Examples of ceremony in a Sentence

There will be a ceremony honoring the town's veterans next week.

With great ceremony, the children presented each of the visitors with a gift.

He told them abruptly and without ceremony that they would have to leave.

Recent Examples on the Web

The kiss was captured on camera during the medal presentation ceremony, and went viral on social media. —Jack Guy, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025

Grant didn’t let that bump in the road with Rose stop him from giving her a rose at the rose ceremony. —Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 11 Feb. 2025

While the track lost its nod at the Feb. 2 ceremony, Brown won best R&B album for 11:11, his second career trophy. —Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025

This year, the broadcast will be extended by 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, with the ceremony also used to drive support for the Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena communities affected by the recent wildfires. —Angelique Jackson, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ceremonie, from Middle French ceremonie, from Latin caerimonia

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ceremony

• stand on ceremony

Kids Definition

ceremony

noun

cer·​e·​mo·​ny ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē 

plural ceremonies

1

: a formal act or series of acts performed in some regular way according to fixed rules

graduation ceremonies

2

: very polite behavior : formality

dined without ceremony