ritualistic

adjective

rit·​u·​al·​is·​tic ˌri-chə-wə-ˈli-stik 

-chə-ˈli-;

ˌrich-wə-

1

: of, in accordance with, or characterized by the use of ritual: such as

a

: relating to or done as a ceremony or rite

a ritualistic dance

For Rick, the clincher came in 2001, when he discovered 20 identical trumpets, made from a type of conch shell … . The trumpets were highly decorated, indicating a ritualistic use.

—Michael Brooks

Ritualistic language (such as the oyez, oyez, oyez or hear ye, hear ye, hear ye that opens a court session) separates legal proceedings from ordinary life, marking them as being special and important.

—Peter Tiersma

b

: done in accordance with social custom or normal protocol

Bush made the ritualistic visits to polling places, making a last-minute bid for support in this intense and important contest.

—Jeanne Meserve

c

: of, relating to, or being an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner

The repetitive nature of online tasks—checking e-mail, searching for data, sending replies—has a soothing, ritualistic quality … .

—Maia Szalavitz

2

: stressing the use of ritual forms : adhering to or devoted to ritualism

We can look at Stonehenge not only to envision the ancient, ritualistic people who built it, but also to imagine a version of ourselves closer to nature … according to Wisser.

—Jed Oelbaum

ritualistically

ˌri-chə-wə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

-chə-ˈli-;

ˌrich-wə-

adverb

Examples of ritualistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a previous defense filing obtained by Fox 59 and the Star, Allen’s attorneys claimed there was evidence of a ritualistic killing. —Liam Quinn, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024

In ritualistic fashion, fans would line up in droves to watch the burly kid from Sonora take the mound, showing up to Dodger Stadium wearing their Valenzuela apparel. —Homero De La Fuente, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024

Gull last month denied their bid to claim that Abby and Libby were murdered as part of a ritualistic sacrifice by those linked to Odinism, a Norse pagan religion that has spread among white nationalist groups. —Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 19 Oct. 2024

And so many different parts, like coming to the game early, are almost ritualistic for a lot of the fans in this game. —Alex Scordelis, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1