rite

noun

1
a
: a prescribed form or manner governing the words or actions for a ceremony
b
: the ceremonial practices of a church or group of churches
2
: a ceremonial act or action
initiation rites
3
: a division of the Christian church using a distinctive liturgy

Examples of rite in a Sentence

Incense is often burned in their religious rites. the annual summer rite of loading up the car for the big family vacation
Recent Examples on the Web Nature, the human form, the mysteries of rites and myth — all of it has featured prominently in the work of Jonas, who has, in the past 50 or so years, evolved, gone (briefly) underappreciated and resurged, all the while innovating, even as her recursive body of work kept referring back to itself. Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 And on the final night of Alderney Week, in a custom that traces back to a medieval fertility rite, thousands lit torches at the Island Hall and advanced for a second time down Victoria Street and up to a bonfire on the Butes. Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 In Gaza— where families are accustomed to loss and laying the dead to rest is a communal occasion — the war has robbed the dead of traditional funeral rites. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023 Orthodox Christian death rites require that the deceased be buried three days after death and mourned for at a funeral service after nine days. Darya Tarasova, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 These animals are often present in what appears to be sacrificial rituals, funeral rites, and are frequently associated with specific deities from the time. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2024 Some potentially represented the sacrificial rites and rituals of the community, while others represented the close companionship between the buried and their burial companions. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 As part of the annual rite, men would climb down the volcano’s 1,000-foot cliffs and swim into the sea to a nearby islet, racing to be the first to return to the village with an egg of a migratory bird, the sooty tern. Mark Johanson, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024 Before the colonization of Australia, many aboriginal people buried dingoes with rites indistinguishable from those used for humans. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rite.' 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, from Latin ritus; akin to Greek arithmos number — more at arithmetic

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near rite

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

rite

noun
1
a
: a fixed form for a ceremony
b
: the ceremonial practices of a church or group of churches
2
: a ceremonial act or action

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