rite

noun

ˈrīt 

1

a

: a prescribed form or manner governing the words or actions for a ceremony

b

: the ceremonial practices of a church or group of churches

2

: a ceremonial act or action

initiation rites

3

: a division of the Christian church using a distinctive liturgy

Synonyms

• ceremonial
• ceremony
• form
• formality
• observance
• ritual
• solemnity

Examples of rite in a Sentence

Incense is often burned in their religious rites.

the annual summer rite of loading up the car for the big family vacation

Recent Examples on the Web

Recent topics have included Walgreens closing stores, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s unprecedented role in the new Trump administration and, of course, waxing about the rites of spring and his beloved Cubs. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025

College basketball’s annual rite of spring — the NCAA men’s and women’s championship tournaments — begin in earnest this weekend. —Jack Magruder, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

Democrats also largely avoided a rite of presidential speeches: standing on the aisle to shake the president’s hand, in full view of the TV cameras. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025

Their rites could not be revealed to those outside the cult and were therefore a source of great fascination to the wider populace. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin ritus; akin to Greek arithmos number — more at arithmetic

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing rite

• initiation rite
• rite of passage
• Scottish rite
• York rite

Rhymes for rite

• bight
• bite
• blight
• byte
• cite
• dight
• fight
• fite
• flight
• fright
• height
• hight

Kids Definition

rite

noun

ˈrīt 

1

a

: a fixed form for a ceremony

b

: the ceremonial practices of a church or group of churches

2

: a ceremonial act or action