rite of passage

noun

plural rites of passage

: a ritual, event, or experience that marks or constitutes a major milestone or change in a person's life

Rites of passage celebrate the social movement of individuals into and out of groups or into or out of statuses of critical importance to the individual and to the community. Reproduction, the achievement of manhood and womanhood, marriage, and death are the principal worldwide occasions for rites of passage.

—Marvin Harris

For them the two years of missionary work, with the rigorous bootcamp-style training preceding it, is a rite of passage between graduation and marriage, adolescence and adult life.

—Malise Ruthven

Today, when each year American society becomes more complex, a veritable tapestry of nationalities, the strongest of our common threads may well be the rites of passage all immigrants face.

—Harold Holzer

The author, grandson of the poet Allen Tate, dropped out of Sewanee University after going through the by-now familiar 1960's rite of passage of drugs, sex, and antiwar demonstrations …

—Caroline Seebohm

compare initiation rite

Examples of rite of passage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Turning 16 and earning your driver's license is a major rite of passage for many young Americans. —Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 17 May 2024

Glastonbury Since its inception in 1970, the annual Glastonbury Festival has been a rite of passage for virtually every major British recording artist, the crown jewel of the UK’s festival circuit. —Al Shipley, SPIN, 17 May 2024

Nobody had any beans to spill, but Verdugo said there is one rite of passage at Homeboy in which Boyle is inflexible. —Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024

High school graduations are a significant rite of passage that cements your student's dedication, hard work and determination. —Nora Colomer, Fox News, 10 May 2024

For makeup lovers, having a collection of lip liners is a rite of passage. —Stixx Matthews, Essence, 7 May 2024

Tracking down your first Rolex is a rite of passage for any watch collector. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 7 May 2024

The list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, created in 2008, is meant to help protect global traditions, festivals, rites of passage, art forms and other practices. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2024

Scoring an exclusive invite to the Met Gala is a rite of passage for many stars. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above