ritual

Word family

Related topics: Religion

rit·u·al1 /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ noun [countableC, uncountableU]

1 RRa ceremony that is always performed in the same way, in order to mark an important religious or social occasion 〔为纪念重要宗教或社会事件举行的〕仪式，典礼 → rite

ancient pagan rituals

古老的异教仪式

the importance of religion and ritual in our lives

我们生活中宗教和宗教仪式的重要性

The lady of the house performs the sacred ritual of lighting two candles.

由女主人来完成点燃两根蜡烛的神圣仪式。

2 TRADITIONsomething that you do regularly and in the same way each time 惯例，老规矩，例行公事 → routine

ritual of

the daily ritual of mealtimes

每天固定不变的进餐时间

He went through the ritual of lighting his cigar.

他按照老习惯点燃雪茄。

Examples from the Corpus

ritual• What used to be a real chase had become a ritual.• Set up a regular time for homework; make it a ritual.• traditional dances and rituals• The Chinese surround silk with myth and ritual.• But, as Marx saw long ago, free-market capitalism is quintessentially populist and inherently subversive of traditions and rituals.• The cremation ritual was directed mainly at inducing the spirit of the dead person to go on to the afterworld.• Once this incorrect impression is accepted and congealed, there is no commanding reason to disrupt the customary rituals of their existence.• After an elaborate ritual, the boys are formally accepted into the tribe.• The book examines rituals for childbirth from different parts of the world.• After all, in a secular age when religious rituals have lost meaning for many, the grieving still need comfort.• That is the effect of the ritual.• As part of the ritual, everyone carries the kumquats to the table.• The ritual is performed in order to thank the Sun Goddess for the rice harvest.• The Western ritual of death was observed - the obligation to remember the most dignified image of the deceased.

performs ... ritual• Throughout the day the grouse drums in the woods, and the woodcock performs its exuberant ritual at dawn and dusk.

went through the ritual• Most of them went through the ritual of gazing about them with curious eyes in search of a familiar face among the crowds.

ritual2 adjectiveadj [only before noun]

1 TRADITIONdone as part of a rite or ritual 作为仪式一部分的

ritual dances

仪式舞蹈

2 REAL/NOT FALSE OR ARTIFICIALdone in a fixed and expected way, but without real meaning or sincerity 例行的

The police issued the usual ritual apology.

警方发表了例行公事式的道歉。

—ritually adverbadv

Animals are brought in and ritually slaughtered.

牲畜被抬进来祭宰。

Examples from the Corpus

ritual• Other kids had histories of ritual abuse.• ritual campaign promises• Prestige was allotted according to the principles of the ritual cycle.• Not quirky little ritual habit-forming, like throwing a pinch of spilled salt over your shoulder, but slow suicide habit-forming.• ritual prayers• Tathir, the ritual purification of the social body, requires the destruction of the first and the confinement of the second.

Origin ritual2

(1500-1600) Latin ritualis, from ritus; → RITE

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus