ceremonial

1 of 2

adjective

cer·​e·​mo·​ni·​al ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-əl How to pronounce ceremonial (audio)
ˌse-rə-
Synonyms of ceremonialnext
1
: marked by, involved in, or belonging to ceremony : stressing careful attention to form and detail
ceremonial rites
2
: having no real power or influence
his new position is largely ceremonial
ceremonialism
ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-ə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce ceremonial (audio)
ˌse-rə-
noun
ceremonialist
ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-ə-list How to pronounce ceremonial (audio)
ˌse-rə-
noun
ceremonially
ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-ə-lē How to pronounce ceremonial (audio)
ˌse-rə-
adverb

ceremonial

2 of 2

noun

: a ceremonial act, action, or system

Synonyms of ceremonial

Relevance

Adjective

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for ceremonial

ceremonial, ceremonious, formal, conventional mean marked by attention to or adhering strictly to prescribed forms.

ceremonial and ceremonious both imply strict attention to what is prescribed by custom or by ritual, but ceremonial applies to things that are associated with ceremonies,

a ceremonial offering

ceremonious to persons given to ceremony or to acts attended by ceremony.

made his ceremonious entrance

formal applies both to things prescribed by and to persons obedient to custom and may suggest stiff, restrained, or old-fashioned behavior.

a formal report
the headmaster's formal manner

conventional implies accord with general custom and usage

conventional courtesy

and may suggest a stodgy lack of originality or independence.

conventional fiction

Examples of ceremonial in a Sentence

Adjective The tribe has different ceremonial masks for each ceremony. His new position is largely ceremonial because all the decisions are actually made by a committee. Noun a number of religious ceremonials the funeral of a pope is usually marked by rich pageantry and elaborate ceremonials
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Partners from The National Park Foundation, Save the Dunes, Friends of Indiana Dunes and Dunes Learning Center joined the National Park Service for the lodge’s ceremonial reopening, welcoming visitors inside for the first time since 1976. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Many lieutenant governors across the country have only ceremonial duties, as their only job is to take over if the governor can’t complete the term. — Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Hall of Famer Greg Maddux threw wild on the ceremonial first pitch with more than 20 members of the Cubs' 150th anniversary team in attendance. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 After basketball starting lineups, Butler Blue traditionally runs toward a 2-foot ceremonial rawhide bone. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ceremonial

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1679, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ceremonial was in the 14th century

Rhymes for ceremonial

See All Rhymes for ceremonial

Browse Nearby Words

cerement
ceremonial
ceremonialism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ceremonial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceremonial. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

ceremonial

1 of 2 adjective
cer·​e·​mo·​ni·​al ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-əl How to pronounce ceremonial (audio)
: of, relating to, or forming a ceremony
ceremonialism
-nē-ə-ˌliz-əm How to pronounce ceremonial (audio)
noun
ceremonialist
-nē-ə-ləst How to pronounce ceremonial (audio)
noun
ceremonially
-nē-ə-lē How to pronounce ceremonial (audio)
adverb
ceremonialness noun

ceremonial

2 of 2 noun
: a ceremonial act, action, or system

More from Merriam-Webster on ceremonial

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ceremonial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All