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ceremony definition

cer·emony (ser′ə mō′nē; chiefly Brit, -mə nē)

noun pl. ceremonies -·nies

  1. a formal act or set of formal acts established by custom or authority as proper to a special occasion, such as a wedding, religious rite, etc.
  2. the service or function at which such acts are performed
  3. a conventionally courteous or polite act
  4. behavior that follows rigid etiquette or a prescribed form
    1. formality or formalities
    2. empty or meaningless formality, or an act suggesting this

Etymology: ME cerimonie < L caerimonia, awe, reverent rite, ceremony; prob. < Etr

ceremony Idioms

stand on ceremony

to behave with or insist on formality

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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