ceremony Hear it!

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

Comments


Do you have more to add? Sign in to share your linguistic knowledge or observation.

Connect with Facebook