a religious or other solemn ceremony or act:the rite of communionpagan fertility rites
a body of customary observances characteristic of a Church or a part of it:the Byzantine rite
a social custom, practice, or conventional act:the British family Christmas rite
Phrases
rite of passage
a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone’s life, especially birth, the transition from childhood to adulthood, marriage, and death:a novel which depicts the state of adolescence and the rites of passage that lead to adulthood
Origin:
Middle English: from Latin ritus '(religious) usage'
