ritual

Definition of Ritual

(noun) A practice or observance based on custom.

Examples of Ritual

• burial ceremony
• graduation ceremony
• wedding ceremony
  

Ritual Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: rit·u·al

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /ˈrɪtʃ(əw)əl/
• British English – /ˈrɪtʃʊəl/

Usage Notes

• Plural: rituals
• A thanatologist studies rituals related to death, such as burial and remembrance.
• Also called rite.
• A ritual is performed (adverb) ritually.

Additional Information

• Death and Dying Research Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Religion Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “ritual” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
• Alexander, Jeffrey C., Bernhard Giesen, and Jason L. Mast, eds. 2006. Social Performance: Symbolic Action, Cultural Pragmatics, and Ritual. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Chwe, Michael Suk-Young. 2001. Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Durkheim, Émile. [1915] 1965. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. New York: Free Press.
• Jafri, Amir H. 2008. Honour Killing: Dilemma, Ritual, Understanding. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Rothenbuhler, Eric W. 1998. Ritual Communication: From Everyday Conversation to Mediated Ceremony. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Related Terms

• cosmology
• culture
• mythology
• personified supernatural force
• religion
• rite of passage
• status
• symbol
• value
• worldview

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Works Consulted

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Cite the Definition of Ritual

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “ritual.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 23, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/ritual/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

ritual. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/ritual/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “ritual.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/ritual/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“ritual.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/ritual/>.