ceremony


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cer·e·mo·ny

 (sĕr′ə-mō′nē)
n. pl. cer·e·mo·nies
1. A formal act or set of acts performed as prescribed by ritual or custom: a wedding ceremony; the Japanese tea ceremony.
2. A conventional social gesture or act of courtesy: the ceremony of shaking hands when introduced.
3. A formal act without intrinsic purpose; an empty form: ignored the ceremony of asking for comments from other committee members.
4. Strict observance of formalities or etiquette: The head of state was welcomed with full ceremony.

[Middle English ceremonie, from Latin caerimōnia, religious rite.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ceremony

(ˈsɛrɪmənɪ)
n, pl -nies
1. a formal act or ritual, often set by custom or tradition, performed in observation of an event or anniversary: a ceremony commemorating Shakespeare's birth.
2. a religious rite or series of rites
3. a courteous gesture or act: the ceremony of toasting the Queen.
4. ceremonial observances or gestures collectively: the ceremony of a monarchy.
5. stand on ceremony to insist on or act with excessive formality
6. without ceremony in a casual or informal manner
[C14: from Medieval Latin cēremōnia, from Latin caerimōnia what is sacred, a religious rite]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cer•e•mo•ny

(ˈsɛr əˌmoʊ ni)

n., pl. -nies.
1. the formal activities conducted on some solemn or important public or state occasion.
2. a formal religious or sacred observance; a solemn rite: a marriage ceremony.
3. any formal act, esp. one performed without meaning or significance.
4. a gesture or act of politeness or civility.
5. formality: to leave without ceremony.
Idioms:
stand on ceremony, to behave in a formal or ceremonious manner.
[1350–1400; Middle English cerimonie (< Middle French) < Latin caerimōnia sacred rite]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.ceremony - a formal event performed on a special occasionceremony - a formal event performed on a special occasion; "a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor"
social function, social occasion, occasion, affair, function - a vaguely specified social event; "the party was quite an affair"; "an occasion arranged to honor the president"; "a seemingly endless round of social functions"
circumstance - formal ceremony about important occasions; "pomp and circumstance"
funeral - a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated; "hundreds of people attended his funeral"
hymeneals, nuptials, wedding, wedding ceremony - the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
pageantry, pageant - a rich and spectacular ceremony
dedication - a ceremony in which something (as a building) is dedicated to some goal or purpose
opening - a ceremony accompanying the start of some enterprise
commemoration, memorialisation, memorialization - a ceremony to honor the memory of someone or something
military ceremony - a formal ceremony performed by military personnel
induction, initiation, installation - a formal entry into an organization or position or office; "his initiation into the club"; "he was ordered to report for induction into the army"; "he gave a speech as part of his installation into the hall of fame"
exercise - (usually plural) a ceremony that involves processions and speeches; "academic exercises"
fire walking - the ceremony of walking barefoot over hot stones or a bed of embers
formalities, formality - a requirement of etiquette or custom; "a mere formality"
Maundy - a public ceremony on Maundy Thursday when the monarch distributes Maundy money
potlatch - a ceremonial feast held by some Indians of the northwestern coast of North America (as in celebrating a marriage or a new accession) in which the host gives gifts to tribesmen and others to display his superior wealth (sometimes, formerly, to his own impoverishment)
2.ceremony - any activity that is performed in an especially solemn elaborate or formal way; "the ceremony of smelling the cork and tasting the wine"; "he makes a ceremony of addressing his golf ball"; "he disposed of it without ceremony"
activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity"
chanoyu, tea ceremony - an ancient ritual for preparing and serving and drinking tea
3.ceremony - the proper or conventional behavior on some solemn occasion; "an inaugural ceremony"
groundbreaking, groundbreaking ceremony - the ceremonial breaking of the ground to formally begin a construction project
purgation, purification - a ceremonial cleansing from defilement or uncleanness by the performance of appropriate rites
activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity"
lustrum - a ceremonial purification of the Roman population every five years following the census
religious ceremony, religious ritual - a ceremony having religious meaning
military ceremony - a military custom performed in observance of some event or anniversary
presentation - the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward); "she gave the trophy but he made the presentation"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

ceremony

noun
1. ritual, service, rite, observance, commemoration, solemnities The flag was blessed in a ceremony in the local cathedral.
2. formality, ceremonial, propriety, decorum, formal courtesy He was crowned with great ceremony.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ceremony

noun
1. A formal act or set of acts prescribed by ritual:
2. A conventional social gesture or act without intrinsic purpose:
3. Strict observance of social conventions:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
احْتِفال رَسْميمَرَاسِممَراسيم، طُقوس
obřadceremonie
ceremonihøjtidelighedpragt
tseremoonia
seremonia
ceremonijaobredsvečanost
ceremónia
formleg og hátíîleg athöfnviîhöfn
儀式
의식
ceremonijaceremoningaiceremoningasceremoningumasiškilmingai
ceremoniāla izturēšanāsceremonija
ceremónia
slovesnost
ceremoni
พิธีการ
nghi lễ

ceremony

[ˈserɪmənɪ] Nceremonia f
to stand on ceremonyandarse con ceremonias or cumplidos
let's not stand on ceremonydejémonos de ceremonias or cumplidos
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ceremony

[ˈsɛrɪməni] n
(= formal event) → cérémonie f
(= ritual) → rituel m
to stand on ceremony → faire des façons
pomp and ceremony → cérémonial m
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ceremony

n
(= event etc)Zeremonie f, → Feier (→ lichkeiten pl) f
(= formality)Förmlichkeit (→ en pl) f; to stand on ceremonyförmlich sein
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ceremony

[ˈsɛrɪmənɪ] n (event) → cerimonia; (no pl, formality) → cerimonie fpl
to stand on ceremony → attenersi all'etichetta, fare complimenti
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

ceremony

(ˈserəməni) , ((American) -mouni) plural ˈceremonies noun
1. a sacred or formal act, eg a wedding, funeral etc. a marriage ceremony.
2. solemn display and formality. pomp and ceremony.
ˌcereˈmonial (-ˈməu-) adjective
formal or official. a ceremonial occasion such as the opening of parliament.
ˌcereˈmonially adverb
ˌcereˈmonious (-ˈməu-) adjective
(negative unceremonious) carefully formal or polite.
ˌcereˈmoniously adverb
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

ceremony

مَرَاسِم obřad ceremoni Zeremonie τελετή ceremonia seremonia cérémonie ceremonija cerimonia 儀式 의식 ceremonie seremoni ceremonia cerimónia, cerimônia церемония ceremoni พิธีการ tören nghi lễ 仪式
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
They provided me with carriages and servants, and bore my charges to Yedo; where I was admitted to an audience, and delivered my letter, which was opened with great ceremony, and explained to the Emperor by an interpreter, who then gave me notice, by his majesty's order, "that I should signify my request, and, whatever it were, it should be granted, for the sake of his royal brother of Luggnagg." This interpreter was a person employed to transact affairs with the Hollanders.
In the church there was all Moscow, all the friends and relations; and during the ceremony of plighting troth, in the brilliantly lighted church, there was an incessant flow of discreetly subdued talk in the circle of gaily dressed women and girls, and men in white ties, frockcoats, and uniforms.
The landlord told all the people who were in the inn about the craze of his guest, the watching of the armour, and the dubbing ceremony he contemplated.
I propose to consecrate this little retreat, by having a ceremony in which I take a great interest, performed there.
Haarlem, having placed on exhibition its favourite, having advertised its love of flowers in general and of tulips in particular, at a period when the souls of men were filled with war and sedition, -- Haarlem, having enjoyed the exquisite pleasure of admiring the very purest ideal of tulips in full bloom, -- Haarlem, this tiny town, full of trees and of sunshine, of light and shade, had determined that the ceremony of bestowing the prize should be a fete which should live for ever in the memory of men.
They arrived in about an hour at the cemetery; the weather was mild, but dull, and in harmony with the funeral ceremony. Among the groups which flocked towards the family vault, Chateau-Renaud recognized Morrel, who had come alone in a cabriolet, and walked silently along the path bordered with yew-trees.
"DEAR SIR -- Accept my best thanks for the kindness and consideration with which you have treated me; and let the anxieties under which I am now suffering plead my excuse, if I reply to your letter without ceremony, in the fewest possible words.
Shortly afterwards the Idol's worshippers held a great religious ceremony at the base of his pedestal, and as a part of the rites the Missionary was roasted whole.
The grave, precise, and courtly ceremony with which the thing is conducted, invests it with a sort of antique charm.
During the intervals of the ceremony, the principal chiefs, who officiate as priests, instruct them in their duties, and exhort them to virtue and good deeds.
Getting married can't be so very terrible when so many people survive the ceremony. See how cool and composed I am, and take courage."
The ceremony went on, without the slightest obstacle to mar its effect.