Definition of "ritual" []

• The prescribed order of a religious ceremony. (noun)
• The body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship. (noun)
• The prescribed form of conducting a formal secular ceremony: the ritual of an inauguration. (noun)
• The body of ceremonies used by a fraternal organization. (noun)
• A book of rites or ceremonial forms. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The ritual -- that's what it was, it was a * ritual* -- the ritual had the feel of something worn smooth with countless repetitions."
• "As she says in her book,"The Joy of Ritual," "To some, the word ritual evokes a vision of frenzied, naked savages beating tom-toms as they dance around a blazing fire...""
• "In fact, the word ritual is often tied to spiritual practices—things that we believe touch our soul."