ceremonial

UK/ˌsɛɹɪˈməʊnɪ.əl/US/ˌsɛɹɪˈmoʊniəl/

adjectiveB2+Common in everyday speech and writing · #7,133 of 15,258leans written

Ceremonial means used in or belonging to formal ceremonies. Ceremonial dress, a ceremonial sword, ceremonial duties.

It often carries the sense that the thing has no practical function left — a ceremonial role is one where the power has gone and the form remains, which is exactly what constitutional monarchy means. The Latin caerimonia named a religious rite.

Definitions of ceremonial

1adjectiveceremonialUsed in or belonging to formal ceremonies.B2+
“The soldiers wore ceremonial uniforms with red jackets for the parade.”

ceremonial is a quality of formality.

Where it comes from

Latin caerimonialis comes from caerimonia, a religious rite or reverence; the further origin is uncertain.

Latin
caerimōniālis
Middle English
cerymonial
English, today
ceremonial

From Middle English cerymonial, from Latin caerimōniālis. Morphologically ceremony + al or -ial.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Word Building

Practise this word

ceremonial in the wild

The ceremonial counties are defined in the Lieutenancies Act 1997, and the shrieval counties in the Sheriffs Act 1887.
Ceremonial counties of England
A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet/hammer commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle.
Gavel
In the western dress code hierarchy of dress codes, ceremonial dress is often considered one of the most formal.
Ceremonial dress
In other cultures, ceremonial dresses vary widely, having entirely different meanings and styles.
Ceremonial dress
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of a university or of a campus within a university system.
Chancellor (education)

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

From Project Gutenberg, public domain. These sentences are from real books, shown to illustrate the word at work.

Related words

ceremony

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