'Ritual' definitions:
Definition of 'ritual'
From: WordNet
adjective
Of or relating to or characteristic of religious rituals; "ritual killing"
adjective
Of or relating to or employed in social rites or rituals; "a ritual dance of Haiti"; "sedate little colonial tribe with its ritual tea parties"- Nadine Gordimer
noun
Any customary observance or practice [syn: ritual, rite]
noun
The prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies
noun
Stereotyped behavior
Definition of 'Ritual'
From: GCIDE
- Ritual \Rit"u*al\, a.[L. ritualis, fr. ritus a rite: cf. F. rituel.] Of or pertaining to rites or ritual; as, ritual service or sacrifices; the ritual law. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Ritual'
From: GCIDE
- Ritual \Rit"u*al\, n. [Cf. F. rituel.]
- 1. A prescribed form of performing divine service in a particular church or communion; as, the Jewish ritual. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Hence, the code of ceremonies observed by an organization; as, the ritual of the freemasons. [1913 Webster]
- 3. A book containing the rites to be observed. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'ritual'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- amenities,
- automatic,
- baccalaureate service,
- baptismal,
- bon ton,
- breviary,
- buckram,
- canon,
- celebration,
- ceremonial,
- ceremonies,
- ceremonious,
- ceremoniousness,
- ceremony,
- church book,
- civilities,
- commencement,
- conformity,
- consuetude,
- convention,
- conventional,
- convocation,
- custom,
- customary,
- decorous,
- dignities,
- dignity,
- duty,
- elegancies,
- empty formality,
- established way,
- etiquette,
- eucharistic,
- euchologion,
- euchology,
- exercise,
- exercises,
- extrinsicality,
- farse,
- fashion,
- folkway,
- form,
- form of worship,
- formal,
- formalities,
- formality,
- formalization,
- formula,
- formular,
- formulary,
- function,
- gentilities,
- graces,
- graduation,
- graduation exercises,
- gravity,
- habitual,
- hieratic,
- High-Church,
- holy rite,
- impersonality,
- inaugural,
- inauguration,
- initiation,
- institution,
- lectionary,
- litany,
- liturgic,
- liturgistic,
- liturgy,
- machzor,
- manner,
- manners,
- manual,
- missal,
- mode of worship,
- mores,
- mummery,
- mystery,
- observance,
- office,
- order of worship,
- ordinal,
- ordinance,
- paschal,
- performance,
- perfunctory,
- pomp,
- pomposity,
- pompous,
- pontifical,
- practice,
- praxis,
- prayer book,
- prescribed,
- prescribed form,
- prescription,
- primness,
- procedural,
- proper thing,
- protocol,
- religious ceremony,
- rigidness,
- rite,
- rite de passage,
- rite of passage,
- rites,
- ritual observance,
- rituale,
- ritualistic,
- rituality,
- rituals,
- routine,
- rubric,
- sacerdotal,
- sacrament,
- sacramental,
- sacramentarian,
- Sefer Torah,
- service,
- service book,
- siddur,
- social convention,
- solemn,
- solemnity,
- solemnization,
- standard behavior,
- standard usage,
- standing custom,
- starchiness,
- stately,
- stiffness,
- stiltedness,
- stylization,
- time-honored practice,
- Torah,
- Torah scroll,
- tradition,
- usage,
- use,
- usual,
- Virginal,
- way,
- weight,
- well-mannered,
- what is done,
- wont,
- wonting