ceremony
noun
cer·e·mo·ny
ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē 
ˈse-rə-
plural ceremonies
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
The custom had probably been long a mere ceremony …—
C. Thirlwall
C. Thirlwall
c
: a routine action performed with elaborate pomp
… the opening bell [of the New York Stock Exchange] is still an important daily ceremony, attracting corporate chiefs and celebrities.—John Carney
John Carney3
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
Examples of ceremony in a Sentence
There will be a ceremony honoring the town's veterans next week.
With great ceremony, the children presented each of the visitors with a gift.
He told them abruptly and without ceremony that they would have to leave.
Recent Examples on the Web
Wooten shared his public commitment via a streaming ceremony hosted by 247Sports.
—Jeff Sentell, AJC.com, 28 May 2026
But even if there will be another ceremony at the White House, the People report did not say whether Barron would make it.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Boccia — a precision ball sport — is scheduled to begin one day before the ceremony.
—City News Service, Daily News, 27 May 2026
It is set to arrive in Europe in early July before its official inauguration ceremony in Le Havre, France, on July 2.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ceremony
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Jeff Sentell, AJC.com, 28 May 2026
But even if there will be another ceremony at the White House, the People report did not say whether Barron would make it.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Boccia — a precision ball sport — is scheduled to begin one day before the ceremony.
—City News Service, Daily News, 27 May 2026
It is set to arrive in Europe in early July before its official inauguration ceremony in Le Havre, France, on July 2.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ceremony
Cite this Entry
“Ceremony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceremony. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ceremony
noun
cer·e·mo·ny
ˈser-ə-ˌmō-nē
plural ceremonies
1
: a formal act or series of acts performed in some regular way according to fixed rules
graduation ceremonies
2
: very polite behavior : formality
dined without ceremony
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