Standard Lemma guide

ceremonial

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌsɛɹɪˈməʊnɪ.əl/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˌsɛɹɪˈmoʊniəl/
  • California, Southern: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˌseɹɪˈməʉniəl/
  • Australian: /ˌseɹɪˈmɐʉniəl/
  • rhymes with -əʊniəl
  • CMU ARPABET: S EH2 R AH0 M OW1 N IY0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ceremonious, formal, ritual, ritualistic

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Used only for the purpose of ceremony; symbolic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nominal

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Synonym of ceremonious (“of a person: fond of ceremony or ritual, or of observing strict etiquette or formality; punctilious”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ceremonious

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A ceremony, or series of ceremonies, prescribed by ritual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

marked by pomp or ceremony or formality

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a ceremonial occasion
  • ceremonial garb

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a formal event performed on a special occasion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ceremony, ceremonial occasion, observance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: affair, occasion, social occasion, function, social function

Narrower terms: circumstance, funeral, wedding, wedding ceremony, nuptials, hymeneals, pageant, pageantry, dedication, opening, commemoration, memorialization, memorialisation, military ceremony, initiation, induction, installation, exercise, fire walking, formality, formalities, Maundy, potlatch

History

Etymology

From Middle English cerymonial, from Latin caerimōniālis. Morphologically ceremony + -al or -ial.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: церемониален (ceremonialen) — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Bulgarian: обреден (obreden) — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Catalan: cerimonial — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Chinese Mandarin: 禮儀的 /礼仪的 (lǐyí de) — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Chinese Mandarin: 儀式的 /仪式的 (yíshì de) — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Czech: obřadný — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Danish: ceremoniel — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Dutch: ceremonieel — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Esperanto: ceremonia — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Finnish: seremoniallinen — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • French: cérémonial — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Galician: cerimonial — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • German: zeremoniell — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Greek: τελετουργικός (teletourgikós) — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Greek: εθιμοτυπικός (ethimotypikós) — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Hungarian: szertartásos — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Hungarian: ünnepélyes — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Italian: cerimoniale — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Latin: caerimonialis — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Norwegian Bokmål: seremoniell — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Norwegian Bokmål: høytidelig — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: seremoniell — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Portuguese: cerimonial — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Russian: церемониальный (ceremonialʹnyj) — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Serbo-Croatian: cȅremonijālan — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȍbrēdnī — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Spanish: ceremonial — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Swedish: ceremoniell — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Turkish: törensel — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Welsh: seremonïol — of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony
  • Bulgarian: обряд (obrjad) — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Chinese Mandarin: 禮儀 /礼仪 (lǐyí) — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Chinese Mandarin: 儀式 /仪式 (yíshì) — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Finnish: muodollisuus — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • French: cérémonial — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Galician: cerimonial — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Greek: τελετή (teletí) — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Hungarian: szertartásrend — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Italian: cerimoniale — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Latin: caerimonia — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Portuguese: cerimonial — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Portuguese: ritual — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
  • Serbo-Croatian: ceremonìjāl — a ceremony, or series of ceremonies
Real reading context

ceremonial in complete knowledge articles