Etymology
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ceremony (n.)

late 14c., cerymonye, "a religious observance, a solemn rite," from Old French ceremonie and directly from Medieval Latin ceremonia, from Latin caerimonia "holiness, sacredness; awe; reverent rite, sacred ceremony," an obscure word, possibly of Etruscan origin, or a reference to the ancient rites performed by the Etruscan pontiffs at Caere, near Rome.

Introduced in English by Wyclif. Also from late 14c. as "a conventional usage of politeness, formality." Disparaging sense of "mere formality" is by 1550s.

Entries linking to ceremony

ceremonial (adj.)

c. 1400, "belonging to (religious) ritual," also as a noun, "a ceremonial practice," from Late Latin caerimonialis "pertaining to ceremony," from caerimonia (see ceremony). Related: Ceremonially.

Ceremonial means connected with or constituting or consisting of or fit for a ceremony (i.e. a piece of ritual or formality) or ceremonies .... Ceremonious means full of or resulting from ceremony i.e. attention to forms .... [Fowler]
ceremonious (adj.)

1550s, "relating to outward forms or rites," also, of persons, "punctilious in matters of formality," from French cérémonieux or directly from Late Latin caerimoniosus, from Latin caerimonia "reverent rite, sacred ceremony" (see ceremony). Meaning "full of show and ceremony" is from 1610s. Related: Ceremoniously; ceremoniousness.

updated on October 27, 2017

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Definitions of ceremony from WordNet

ceremony (n.)
a formal event performed on a special occasion;
a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor
Synonyms: ceremonial / ceremonial occasion / observance
ceremony (n.)
any activity that is performed in an especially solemn elaborate or formal way;
he makes a ceremony of addressing his golf ball
he disposed of it without ceremony
the ceremony of smelling the cork and tasting the wine
ceremony (n.)
the proper or conventional behavior on some solemn occasion;
an inaugural ceremony
From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.

Dictionary entries near ceremony

cerebro-

cerebrovascular

cerebrum

ceremonial

ceremonious

ceremony

Ceres

Cereus

ceriph

cerise

cerium

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