ritualistic

adjective

rit·​u·​al·​is·​tic ˌri-chə-wə-ˈli-stik 

-chə-ˈli-;

ˌrich-wə-

1

: of, in accordance with, or characterized by the use of ritual: such as

a

: relating to or done as a ceremony or rite

a ritualistic dance

For Rick, the clincher came in 2001, when he discovered 20 identical trumpets, made from a type of conch shell … . The trumpets were highly decorated, indicating a ritualistic use.

—Michael Brooks

Ritualistic language (such as the oyez, oyez, oyez or hear ye, hear ye, hear ye that opens a court session) separates legal proceedings from ordinary life, marking them as being special and important.

—Peter Tiersma

b

: done in accordance with social custom or normal protocol

Bush made the ritualistic visits to polling places, making a last-minute bid for support in this intense and important contest.

—Jeanne Meserve

c

: of, relating to, or being an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner

The repetitive nature of online tasks—checking e-mail, searching for data, sending replies—has a soothing, ritualistic quality … .

—Maia Szalavitz

2

: stressing the use of ritual forms : adhering to or devoted to ritualism

We can look at Stonehenge not only to envision the ancient, ritualistic people who built it, but also to imagine a version of ourselves closer to nature … according to Wisser.

—Jed Oelbaum

ritualistically

ˌri-chə-wə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

-chə-ˈli-;

ˌrich-wə-

adverb

Examples of ritualistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The remains were surrounded by goat horns, which some researchers interpret as evidence of symbolic or ritualistic practices. —Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

The multifaceted research team found the ritualistic evidence in Manot Cave — a famous excavation site in Galilee, Israel. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024

Here, water transport assumes a form that is grandly ritualistic if decidedly prosaic. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

Pulling a cork is a ritualistic act, signaling a special occasion. —Roger Dooley, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1