a formal event performed on a special occasion
"a ceremony commemorating Pearl Harbor"
any activity that is performed in an especially solemn elaborate or formal way
"the ceremony of smelling the cork and tasting the wine"
"he makes a ceremony of addressing his golf ball"
"he disposed of it without ceremony"
A ritual, with religious or cultural significance.
"The village gathered to perform an ancient ceremony honoring their ancestors before planting the harvest crops."
In plain English: A ceremony is an important event where people follow special steps to celebrate something big, like a wedding or graduation.
"The wedding ceremony was held in a beautiful garden surrounded by friends and family."
Usage: Use ceremony to describe formal events involving rituals that mark significant life transitions like weddings or graduations rather than casual gatherings. Distinguish it from similar words by focusing on the structured nature of the proceedings and their symbolic importance within a community.
The word ceremony entered English via the French form cerymonie, which was borrowed directly from the Latin caeremōnia. Originally meaning "sacredness" or "reverence," it came to refer specifically to formal religious rites and rituals.