Adjacent Words

Ceremonious definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CEREMONIOUS, a.
1. Consisting of outward forms and rites; as the ceremonious part of worship. [In this sense, ceremonial is now used.]
2. Full of ceremony or solemn forms.
3. According to the rules and forms prescribed or customary; civil; formally respectful. Ceremonious phrases.
4. Formal; according to the rules of civility; as, to take a ceremonious leave.
5. Formal; exact; precise; too observant of forms.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: characterized by pomp and ceremony and stately display [syn: pompous, ceremonious]
2: rigidly formal or bound by convention; "their ceremonious greetings did not seem heartfelt" [syn: ceremonious, conventional]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 1553 1. devoted to forms and ceremony ; punctilious <ceremonious courtiers> 2. of, relating to, or constituting a ceremony <a ceremonious occasion> 3. according to formal usage or prescribed procedures <the cold and ceremonious politeness of her curtsey — Jane Austen> 4. marked by ceremony <a ceremonious procession> Synonyms: see ceremonial • ceremoniously adverb • ceremoniousness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 excessively polite; punctilious. 2 having or showing a fondness for ritualistic observance or formality. Derivatives: ceremoniously adv. ceremoniousness n. Etymology: F cérémonieux or LL caerimoniosus (as CEREMONY)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ceremonious Cer`e*mo"ni*ous, a. [Cf. F. c['e]r['e]monieux, L. Caerimoniosus.] 1. Consisting of outward forms and rites; ceremonial. Note: [In this sense ceremonial is now preferred.] The ceremonious part of His worship. --South. 2. According to prescribed or customary rules and forms; devoted to forms and ceremonies; formally respectful; punctilious. ``Ceremonious phrases.'' --Addison. Too ceremonious and traditional. --Shak. Syn: Formal; precise; exact. See Formal.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Full of ceremony, stately, lofty, courtly. 2. Formal, studied, according to due form, observant of all the punctilios. 3. Formal, punctilious, stiff, precise, starched, observant of conventionalities.

Moby Thesaurus

High-Church, attentive, baptismal, cap in hand, careful, ceremonial, chivalric, chivalrous, civil, conventional, correct, courteous, courtly, decorous, deferential, dignified, dutiful, eucharistic, formal, formular, formulary, gallant, grandiose, hieratic, honorific, imposing, impressive, knightly, liturgic, liturgistic, majestic, moving, old-fashioned, old-world, paschal, polite, pompous, proper, punctilious, regardful, respectful, ritual, ritualistic, sacerdotal, sacramental, sacramentarian, seemly, solemn, starchy, stately, stiff, striking, stuffy, well-mannered