Standard Lemma guide

ritual

adj · noun · 7 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.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.u.əl/
  • California, Southern: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH1 CH UW0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Related to a rite or repeated set of actions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • They performed the ritual lighting of the candles.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A rite; a repeated set of actions, especially in religious contexts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The priests carried out the religious ritual carefully.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

of or relating to or employed in social rites or rituals- Nadine Gordimer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a ritual dance of Haiti
  • sedate little colonial tribe with its ritual tea parties

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

of or relating to or characteristic of religious rituals

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • ritual killing

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

stereotyped behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: habit, use

6

noun

Meaning 6

any customary observance or practice

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rite

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: custom, usage, usance

Narrower terms: betrothal, espousal, marriage, wedding, marriage ceremony, rite of passage

7

noun

Meaning 7

the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: practice, pattern

Narrower terms: ablution, celebration, solemnization, solemnisation, Communion, Holy Communion, sacramental manduction, manduction

History

Etymology

From Latin rītuālis (adjective), from rītus (“rite”) + -ālis. Displaced native Old English ġewuna and wuna.

Across languages

Translations

145 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: ritueel — related to a rite
  • Armenian: ծիսական (cisakan) — related to a rite
  • Bulgarian: ритуален (ritualen) — related to a rite
  • Bulgarian: церемониален (ceremonialen) — related to a rite
  • Catalan: ritual — related to a rite
  • Chinese Mandarin: 儀式 /仪式 (yíshì) — related to a rite
  • Czech: rituální — related to a rite
  • Danish: rituel — related to a rite
  • Finnish: rituaalinen — related to a rite
  • French: rituel — related to a rite
  • Galician: ritual — related to a rite
  • Georgian: რიტუალური (riṭualuri) — related to a rite
  • German: rituell — related to a rite
  • Hebrew: פֻּלְחָן — related to a rite
  • Hindi: रीति (rīti) — related to a rite
  • Hindi: अनुष्ठान (anuṣṭhān) — related to a rite
  • Hindi: संस्कार (sanskār) — related to a rite
  • Hungarian: rituális — related to a rite
  • Hungarian: szertartásos — related to a rite
  • Hungarian: ünnepélyes — related to a rite
  • Italian: rituale — related to a rite
  • Japanese: 儀式的 (gishikiteki) — related to a rite
  • Latin: rītuālis — related to a rite
  • Latvian: rituāls — related to a rite
  • Māori: kawanga — related to a rite
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rituell — related to a rite
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rituell — related to a rite
  • Polish: rytualny — related to a rite
  • Polish: obrzędowy — related to a rite
  • Portuguese: ritual — related to a rite
  • Portuguese: ritualístico — related to a rite
  • Russian: ритуа́льный (rituálʹnyj) — related to a rite
  • Russian: обря́довый (obrjádovyj) — related to a rite
  • Swedish: rituell — related to a rite
  • Ukrainian: ритуа́льний (rytuálʹnyj) — related to a rite
  • Ukrainian: обрядо́вий (obrjadóvyj) — related to a rite
  • Ukrainian: обря́дний (obrjádnyj) — related to a rite
  • Welsh: defodol — related to a rite
  • Albanian: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Arabic: شَعِيرَة (šaʕīra) — repeated set of actions
  • Arabic: مَرَاسِم (marāsim) — repeated set of actions
  • Arabic: طُقُوس (ṭuqūs) — repeated set of actions
  • Armenian: ծես (ces) — repeated set of actions
  • Armenian: արարողություն (araroġutʻyun) — repeated set of actions
  • Azerbaijani: ayin — repeated set of actions
  • Azerbaijani: mərasim — repeated set of actions
  • Bashkir: йола (yola) — repeated set of actions
  • Belarusian: рытуа́л (rytuál) — repeated set of actions
  • Belarusian: абра́д (abrád) — repeated set of actions
  • Bengali: আচার (acar) — repeated set of actions
  • Bulgarian: ритуа́л (rituál) — repeated set of actions
  • Bulgarian: о́бред (óbred) — repeated set of actions
  • Burmese: အခမ်းအနား (a.hkam:a.na:) — repeated set of actions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 儀式 /仪式 (yíshì) — repeated set of actions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 典禮 /典礼 (diǎnlǐ) — repeated set of actions
  • Czech: rituál — repeated set of actions
  • Czech: obřad — repeated set of actions
  • Danish: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Dutch: ritueel — repeated set of actions
  • Egyptian: i-ir-w-A53 (jrw) — repeated set of actions
  • Esperanto: ritaro — repeated set of actions
  • Esperanto: ritualo — repeated set of actions
  • Estonian: rituaal — repeated set of actions
  • Finnish: rituaali — repeated set of actions
  • French: rituel — repeated set of actions
  • Galician: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Georgian: რიტუალი (riṭuali) — repeated set of actions
  • German: Ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Greek: τελετουργικό (teletourgikó) — repeated set of actions
  • Ancient Greek: τελετή (teletḗ) — repeated set of actions
  • Hebrew: טֶקֶס (tékes) — repeated set of actions
  • Hindi: अनुष्ठान (anuṣṭhān) — repeated set of actions
  • Hungarian: szertartás — repeated set of actions
  • Hungarian: rítus — repeated set of actions
  • Hungarian: rituálé — repeated set of actions
  • Indonesian: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Irish: deasghnáth — repeated set of actions
  • Italian: rituale — repeated set of actions
  • Japanese: 儀式 (gishiki) — repeated set of actions
  • Japanese: 祭祀 (saishi) — repeated set of actions
  • Kashubian: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Kashubian: obrząd — repeated set of actions
  • Kazakh: жора (jora) — repeated set of actions
  • Kazakh: жол-жора (jol-jora) — repeated set of actions
  • Kazakh: салт жоралары — repeated set of actions
  • Khmer: ពិធី (pithii) — repeated set of actions
  • Khmer: វិធី (vithii) — repeated set of actions
  • Korean: 의식 (uisik) — repeated set of actions
  • Korean: 의례 (uirye) — repeated set of actions
  • Korean: 제사 (jesa) — repeated set of actions
  • Kyrgyz: ырым (ırım) — repeated set of actions
  • Lao: ພິທີ (phi thī) — repeated set of actions
  • Lao: ພິທີກໍາ (phi thī kam) — repeated set of actions
  • Latin: ritus — repeated set of actions
  • Latin: caerimōnia — repeated set of actions
  • Latvian: rituāls — repeated set of actions
  • Latvian: rits — repeated set of actions
  • Lithuanian: ritualas — repeated set of actions
  • Macedonian: ритуа́л (rituál) — repeated set of actions
  • Macedonian: обред (obred) — repeated set of actions
  • Māori: whakaritenga — repeated set of actions
  • Māori: ritenga — repeated set of actions
  • Māori: kawanga — repeated set of actions
  • Norman: rituel — repeated set of actions
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Old English: ġewuna — repeated set of actions
  • Persian: آیین (âyin) — repeated set of actions
  • Persian: مراسم (marâsem) — repeated set of actions
  • Polish: rytuał — repeated set of actions
  • Polish: obrządek — repeated set of actions
  • Polish: obrzęd — repeated set of actions
  • Portuguese: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Portuguese: rito — repeated set of actions
  • Romanian: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Russian: ритуа́л (rituál) — repeated set of actions
  • Russian: обря́д (obrjád) — repeated set of actions
  • Scots: reetual — repeated set of actions
  • Scottish Gaelic: deas-ghnàth — repeated set of actions
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̀бред — repeated set of actions
  • Serbo-Croatian: риту̀а̄л — repeated set of actions
  • Serbo-Croatian: òbred — repeated set of actions
  • Serbo-Croatian: ritùāl — repeated set of actions
  • Slovak: rituál — repeated set of actions
  • Slovak: obrad — repeated set of actions
  • Slovene: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Slovene: obred — repeated set of actions
  • Spanish: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Swedish: ritual — repeated set of actions
  • Tagalog: sulinaw — repeated set of actions
  • Tajik: маросим (marosim) — repeated set of actions
  • Tajik: расм (rasm) — repeated set of actions
  • Tajik: оин (oyin) — repeated set of actions
  • Thai: พิธี (pí-tii) — repeated set of actions
  • Thai: พิธีกรรม (pí-tii-gam) — repeated set of actions
  • Turkish: ayin — repeated set of actions
  • Turkish: ritüel — repeated set of actions
  • Turkish: merasim — repeated set of actions
  • Ukrainian: ритуа́л (rytuál) — repeated set of actions
  • Ukrainian: обря́д (obrjád) — repeated set of actions
  • Uzbek: marosim — repeated set of actions
  • Vietnamese: lễ nghi — repeated set of actions
  • Vietnamese: nghi lễ — repeated set of actions
  • Vietnamese: nghi thức — repeated set of actions
  • Welsh: defod — repeated set of actions
Real reading context

ritual in complete knowledge articles