Rite

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

Rite, n. [L. ritus; cf. Skr. rīti a stream, a running, way, manner, ri to flow: cf. F. rit, rite. CF. Rivulet.].

 The act of performing divine or solemn service, as established by law, precept, or custom; a formal act of religion or other solemn duty; a solemn observance; a ceremony; as, the rites of freemasonry.  [1913 Webster]
"He looked with indifference on rites, names, and forms of ecclesiastical polity."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Form; ceremony; observance; ordinance.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Rite, n.
1 a religious or solemn observance or act (burial rites).
2 an action or procedure required or usual in this.
3 a body of customary observances characteristic of a Church or a part of it (the Latin rite).

Idiom

rite of passage (often in pl.) a ritual or event marking a stage of a person's advance through life, e.g. marriage.

Derivative

riteless adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF rit, rite or L ritus (esp. religious) usage

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Rite

n. A religious or semi-religious ceremony fixed by law, precept or custom, with the essential oil of sincerity carefully squeezed out of it.

THESAURUS

Rite

amenities, anniversaries, baccalaureate service, celebrating, celebration, ceremonial, ceremonies, ceremony, civilities, commemoration, commencement, convocation, custom, dignities, dressing ship, duty, elegancies, empty formality, exercise, exercises, fanfare, fanfaronade, festivity, flourish of trumpets, form, form of worship, formal, formalities, formality, formula, formulary, function, gentilities, graces, graduation, graduation exercises, holiday, holy rite, inaugural, inauguration, initiation, institution, jubilee, liturgy, marking the occasion, memorialization, memory, mode of worship, mummery, mystery, observance, occasion, office, order of worship, ordinance, ovation, performance, practice, prescribed form, procedure, rejoicing, religious ceremony, religious rites, remembrance, revel, rite de passage, rite of passage, rites, ritual, ritual observance, rituality, rituals, routine, sacrament, sacramental, salute, salvo, service, solemn observance, solemnity, solemnization, testimonial, testimonial banquet, testimonial dinner, toast, tribute, triumph

ROGET THESAURUS

Rite

Legality

N legality, legitimacy, legitimateness, legislature, law, code, corpus juris, constitution, pandect, charter, enactment, statute, rule, canon, ordinance, institution, regulation, bylaw, byelaw, decree, ordonnance, standing order, plebiscite, legal process, form, formula, formality, rite, arm of the law, habeas corpus, fieri facias, jurisprudence, nomology, legislation, codification, equity, common law, lex, lex nonscripta, law of nations, droit des gens, international law, jus gentium, jus civile, civil law, canon law, crown law, criminal law, statute law, ecclesiastical law, administrative law, lex mercatoria, constitutionalism, constitutionality, justice, court, tribunal, judge, lawyer, attorney, legal counsel, legal, legitimate, according to law, vested, constitutional, chartered, legalized, lawful, statutable, statutory, legislatorial, legislative, regulatory, regulated, legally, in the eye of the law, de jure, ignorantia legis neminem excusat, ignorance of the law is no excuse, where law ends tyranny begins.

Rite

N rite, ceremony, ritual, liturgy, ceremonial, ordinance, observance, function, duty, form, formulary, solemnity, sacrament, incantation, service, psalmody, ministration, preaching, preachment, predication, sermon, homily, lecture, discourse, pastoral, baptism, christening, chrism, circumcision, baptismal regeneration, font, confirmation, imposition of hands, laying on of hands, ordination, excommunication, Bar Mitzvah, Bas Mitzvah, Bris, Eucharist, Lord's supper, communion, the sacrament, the holy sacrament, celebration, high celebration, missa cantata, asperges, offertory, introit, consecration, consubstantiation, transubstantiation, real presence, elements, mass, high mass, low mass, dry mass, matrimony, burial, visitation of the sick, seven sacraments, impanation, subpanation, extreme unction, viaticum, invocation of saints, canonization, transfiguration, auricular confession, maceration, flagellation, sackcloth and ashes, penance, telling of beads, processional, thurification, incense, holy water, aspersion, relics, rosary, beads, reliquary, host, cross, rood, crucifix, pax, pyx, agnus Dei, censer, thurible, patera, eileton, Holy Grail, prayer machine, prayer wheel, Sangraal, urceus, ritualism, ceremonialism, sabbatism, sabbatarianism, ritualist, sabbatarian, holyday, feast, fast, Sabbath, Pentecost, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Passion week, Holy week, Easter, Easter Sunday, Whitsuntide, agape, Ascension Day, Candlemas, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Holy Thursday, Lammas, Martinmas, Michaelmas, All SAint's DAy, All Souls' Day, Ramadan, Ramazan, Bairam Passover, Shabuoth, Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement, Rosh Hashana, New Year, Hanukkah, Chanukkah, Feast of Lights, Purim, Feast of lots, ritual, ritualistic, ceremonial, baptismal, eucharistical, paschal, what art thou, thou idol ceremony?.