Adjacent Words

Ceremony definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CEREMONY, n.
1. Outward rite; external form in religion.
2. Forms of civility; rules established by custom for regulating social intercourse.
3. Outward forms of state; the forms prescribed or established by order or custom, serving for the purpose of civility or magnificence, as in levees of princes, the reception of ambassadors, etc.
Master of ceremonies, an officer who superintends the reception of ambassadors. A person who regulates the forms to be observed by the company or attendants on a public occasion.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a formal event performed on a special occasion; "a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor" [syn: ceremony, ceremonial, ceremonial occasion, observance]
2: 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"
3: the proper or conventional behavior on some solemn occasion; "an inaugural ceremony"

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -nies) Etymology: Middle English ceremonie, from Middle French ceremonie, from Latin caerimonia Date: 14th century 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 c. a routine action performed with elaborate pomp 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>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 a formal religious or public occasion, esp. celebrating a particular event or anniversary. 2 formalities, esp. of an empty or ritualistic kind (ceremony of exchanging compliments). 3 excessively polite behaviour (bowed low with great ceremony). Phrases and idioms: Master of Ceremonies 1 ( also MC) a person introducing speakers at a banquet, or entertainers in a variety show. 2 a person in charge of ceremonies at a state or public occasion. stand on ceremony insist on the observance of formalities. without ceremony informally. Etymology: ME f. OF ceremonie or L caerimonia religious worship

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ceremony Cer"e*mo*ny, n.; pl. Ceremonies. [F. c['e]r['e]monie, L. caerimonia; perh. akin to E. create and from a root signifying to do or make.] 1. Ar act or series of acts, often of a symbolical character, prescribed by law, custom, or authority, in the conduct of important matters, as in the performance of religious duties, the transaction of affairs of state, and the celebration of notable events; as, the ceremony of crowning a sovereign; the ceremonies observed in consecrating a church; marriage and baptismal ceremonies. According to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keep it [the Passover]. --Numb. ix. 3 Bring her up the high altar, that she may The sacred ceremonies there partake. --Spenser. [The heralds] with awful ceremony And trumpet's sound, throughout the host proclaim A solemn council. --Milton. 2. Behavior regulated by strict etiquette; a formal method of performing acts of civility; forms of civility prescribed by custom or authority. Ceremony was but devised at first To set a gloss on . . . hollow welcomes . . . But where there is true friendship there needs none. --Shak. Al ceremonies are in themselves very silly things; but yet a man of the world should know them. --Chesterfield. 3. A ceremonial symbols; an emblem, as a crown, scepter, garland, etc. [Obs.] Disrobe the images, If you find them decked with ceremonies. . . . Let no images Be hung with C[ae]sar's trophies. --Shak. 4. A sign or prodigy; a portent. [Obs.] C[ae]sar, I never stood on ceremonies, Yet, now they fright me. --Shak. Master of ceremonies, an officer who determines the forms to be observed, or superintends their observance, on a public occasion. Not to stand on ceremony, not to be ceremonious; to be familiar, outspoken, or bold.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ceremonies) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A ceremony is a formal event such as a wedding. ...his grandmother's funeral, a private ceremony attended only by the family... Today's award ceremony took place at the British Embassy in Tokyo. N-COUNT 2. Ceremony consists of the special things that are said and done on very formal occasions. The Republic was proclaimed in public with great ceremony. N-UNCOUNT: usu with N 3. If you do something without ceremony, you do it quickly and in a casual way. 'Is Hilton here?' she asked without ceremony. N-UNCOUNT: without N 4. see also master of ceremonies

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Rite, form, formality, ceremonial, solemnity, observance. 2. Parade, pomp, show, stateliness.

Moby Thesaurus

amenities, anniversaries, appearances, baccalaureate service, buckram, celebrating, celebration, ceremonial, ceremonies, ceremoniousness, civilities, commemoration, commencement, convention, conventions, convocation, decorum, dignities, dignity, dressing ship, duty, elegancies, empty formality, etiquette, exercise, exercises, extrinsicality, fanfare, fanfaronade, festivity, flourish of trumpets, form, form of worship, formal, formalities, formality, formalization, formula, formulary, function, gentilities, graces, graduation, graduation exercises, gravity, holiday, holy rite, impersonality, inaugural, inauguration, initiation, institution, jubilee, liturgy, marking the occasion, memorialization, memory, mode of worship, motions, mummery, mystery, niceties, obsequies, observance, office, order of worship, ordinance, ovation, performance, pomp, pomposity, practice, prescribed form, primness, proprieties, protocol, rejoicing, religious ceremony, religious rites, remembrance, revel, rigidness, rite, rite de passage, rite of passage, rites, ritual, ritual observance, rituality, rituals, sacrament, sacramental, salute, salvo, service, solemn observance, solemnity, solemnization, starchiness, stiffness, stiltedness, stylization, testimonial, testimonial banquet, testimonial dinner, toast, tribute, triumph, weight