Origin: Latin suffix -al
Ritual has 7 different meanings across 2 categories:
the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies
"The priest carefully followed every step of the ancient ritual to ensure the ceremony was conducted correctly."
stereotyped behavior
"The child mimicked the ritual of knocking on wood before crossing the street, showing a deep adherence to that stereotyped behavior."
rite; a repeated set of actions
"The morning ritual involves washing, praying, and lighting incense before starting work."
In plain English: A ritual is a repeated action done on purpose, often because it feels important or special to do every time.
"Before leaving for work, he has a morning ritual that includes making coffee and stretching."
of or relating to or employed in social rites or rituals
"a ritual dance of Haiti"
"sedate little colonial tribe with its ritual tea parties"
Related to a rite or repeated set of actions.
"The new employee completed the mandatory morning ritual before beginning her workday."
"The ritualistic way he folded his clothes helped him relax before bed."
Usage: Use the adjective form ritual only when describing an action that is performed as part of a formal ceremony, such as a ritual sacrifice. Do not use it simply to mean "habitual" unless those habits are specifically tied to religious or ceremonial traditions.
The word ritual comes from the Latin adjective rītuālis, which was formed by adding a suffix to rītus, meaning "rite." It entered English with this original sense of relating to religious ceremonies or prescribed forms of behavior.