Synonyms for
Rites
Definition
Rites are a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.
Synonyms & similar words
Synonyms by register
Formal
Informal
Literary
Antonyms
Common collocations
- religious rites
- sacred rites
- ancient rites
- funeral rites
- marriage rites
- initiation rites
- rite of passage
Word family
Usage note
Often used in the plural form 'rites' to refer to a set of customary or religious ceremonies. 'Rite' can also refer to a single act or ceremony within a larger set.
Example sentences
- The graduation ceremony was a wonderful rite of passage.
- The wedding rites were beautiful and meaningful.
- The tribal custom included special rites for young men.
- The religious ceremony was full of ancient rites and traditions.
- The funeral rites were solemn and respectful.
Quotes
The rites and ceremonies of religion are adapted, not to destroy, but to improve the social condition of mankind. - Samuel Johnson
The rites of passage in every culture have profound spiritual and psychological significance for the individual. - Angeles Arrien
All the great things have been denied and we live in an intricacy of new and local mythologies, political, economic, poetic, which are asserted with an ever-enlarging incoherence. And the great claims that are made for ideologies, which are all abstract, all become ridiculous. This is how history works - Lawrence Durrell