ceremony

noun

cer·​e·​mo·​ny ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē How to pronounce ceremony (audio)
ˈse-rə-
plural ceremonies
1
: a formal act or series of acts prescribed by ritual, protocol, or convention
the marriage ceremony
2
a
: a conventional act of politeness or etiquette
the ceremony of introduction
b
: an action performed only formally with no deep significance
the custom had probably been long a mere ceremonyC. Thirlwall
c
: a routine action performed with elaborate pomp
Liz Claiborne Inc. chief executive officer William McComb and Liz Claiborne New York creative director Isaac Mizrahi rang the closing bell [of the New York Stock Exchange], a daily ceremony they followed with the first-ever fashion show on the trading floor.Marc Karimzadeh
3
a
: prescribed procedures : usages
the ceremony attending an inauguration
b
: observance of an established code of civility or politeness
opened the door without ceremony and strode in

Examples of ceremony in a Sentence

There will be a ceremony honoring the town's veterans next week. With great ceremony, the children presented each of the visitors with a gift. He told them abruptly and without ceremony that they would have to leave.
Recent Examples on the Web The cutaway shots during the ceremony were in fact filmed before the broadcast, between 3:20 and 3:30 p.m. (as caught by a spy in the Dolby’s balcony, THR’s own Chris Gardner, who also confirms that those were not Messi’s actual paws applauding, but props held by a handler crouching below). Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Several top French political figures were at the ceremony as well, including former President Nicolas Sarkozy, EU commissioner Thierry Breton, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, French economy minister Bruno Le Maire, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin, and culture minister Rachida Dati. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024 The song, which Billie and Finneas also performed at the Sunday ceremonies – and which was also featured in a Saturday Night Live sketch the night before the Academy Awards – got one final victory lap bump from its big Sunday win. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 Dancer and Maks Chmerkovskiy Expecting Baby Seven Months After Welcoming Second Son The ceremony was officiated by a close family friend, Urbano, before the 85 guests enjoyed a cocktail hour followed by a reception featuring dinner and dancing. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 Included in the celebration was a special sign lighting ceremony that featured an appearance by New York City Mayor Eric Adams – who signaled his support for The Apollo to become the mecca of Black AI. Matthew Wright, Essence, 13 Mar. 2024 Kravitz wore a strapless, blue-and-black dress to the ceremony, while Tatum kept it casual in a black t-shirt and navy blue cardigan. USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 Sure, there was the odd exception: Leonardo DiCaprio’s tie-free tux at his first ceremony in 1995, for example, or Pharrell’s controversial choice of shorts at the 2014 awards. Liam Hess, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2024 Raye had already made history going into the Brit Awards ceremony on Saturday, having been the first artist to rack up seven nominations. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ceremony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ceremonie, from Middle French ceremonie, from Latin caerimonia

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near ceremony

Cite this Entry

“Ceremony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceremony. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ceremony

noun
cer·​e·​mo·​ny ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē How to pronounce ceremony (audio)
plural ceremonies
1
: a formal act or series of acts performed in some regular way according to fixed rules
graduation ceremonies
2
: very polite behavior : formality
dined without ceremony

More from Merriam-Webster on ceremony

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