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
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
Personal items were also buried with the remains, according to the release, which were likely part of the rites and ceremony of the burials.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Incorporating both is a cheeky, feminist parody of a ceremonial rite involving a cast resin sculpture of a squash.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Some provided food and water, others street theater and rites of mourning for Hussein.
—Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
On a recent Tuesday evening, the familiar rites and sounds of Scrabble fill the room.
—Joe Heim, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024
In this rite, an earthen pot, symbol of fertility, is broken.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024
The shock of gun violence pierced an otherwise idyllic winter afternoon, with bright sunshine and temperatures in the 60s greeting a city ready to rejoice in what had become close to an annual rite of February as Kansas City’s team has become the dominant force in the National Football League.
—Colbi Edmonds, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
Her jersey number, 24, and her initials, AV, are also painted onto the floor and when the announcer introduced the home team's starters, each girl ran down the court and touched the initials as part of a pregame rite.
—Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024
Johnson, a woman who is a legend in her own rite is telling her unique story through her lens at 59E59 Theaters in Manhattan.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 17 Jan. 2024
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Incorporating both is a cheeky, feminist parody of a ceremonial rite involving a cast resin sculpture of a squash.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Some provided food and water, others street theater and rites of mourning for Hussein.
—Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
On a recent Tuesday evening, the familiar rites and sounds of Scrabble fill the room.
—Joe Heim, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024
In this rite, an earthen pot, symbol of fertility, is broken.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024
The shock of gun violence pierced an otherwise idyllic winter afternoon, with bright sunshine and temperatures in the 60s greeting a city ready to rejoice in what had become close to an annual rite of February as Kansas City’s team has become the dominant force in the National Football League.
—Colbi Edmonds, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
Her jersey number, 24, and her initials, AV, are also painted onto the floor and when the announcer introduced the home team's starters, each girl ran down the court and touched the initials as part of a pregame rite.
—Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024
Johnson, a woman who is a legend in her own rite is telling her unique story through her lens at 59E59 Theaters in Manhattan.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 17 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near rite
Cite this Entry
“Rite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rite. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rite
noun1
a
: a fixed form for a ceremony
b
: the ceremonial practices of a church or group of churches
2
: a ceremonial act or action
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