1
a
: a prescribed form or manner governing the words or actions for a ceremony
b
: the ceremonial practices of a church or group of churches
2
: a ceremonial act or action
initiation rites
3
: a division of the Christian church using a distinctive liturgy
Examples of rite in a Sentence
Incense is often burned in their religious rites.
the annual summer rite of loading up the car for the big family vacation
Recent Examples on the Web
The Bishop of Des Moines asked the Roman Catholic priest to conduct the rite of exorcism on 46-year-old Emma Schmidt (played by Abigail Cowen) in Earling, Iowa.
—
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 6 June 2025
The Eleusinian Mysteries, the annual rite honoring Demeter that was performed in Greece for nearly two thousand years, climaxed with the consumption of a potion called the kykeon, which was said to give participants visions of the afterlife and enable them to commune with their ancestors.
—Michael Pollan, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Towns all over Spain developed festival rites that included different versions of the bull runs and often ended with men fighting the finest animals, with matadors in ornate, tightly fitting outfits taking to plazas on horseback and on foot.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
If only, Dyer implies, Americans with the misfortune of paying for their own dental care could afford the rite of developing gum boils.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rite
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 6 June 2025
The Eleusinian Mysteries, the annual rite honoring Demeter that was performed in Greece for nearly two thousand years, climaxed with the consumption of a potion called the kykeon, which was said to give participants visions of the afterlife and enable them to commune with their ancestors.
—Michael Pollan, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Towns all over Spain developed festival rites that included different versions of the bull runs and often ended with men fighting the finest animals, with matadors in ornate, tightly fitting outfits taking to plazas on horseback and on foot.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
If only, Dyer implies, Americans with the misfortune of paying for their own dental care could afford the rite of developing gum boils.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rite
Cite this Entry
“Rite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rite. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rite
noun1
a
: a fixed form for a ceremony
b
: the ceremonial practices of a church or group of churches
2
: a ceremonial act or action
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share