I. rit ‧ u ‧ al 1 /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
1 . a ceremony that is always performed in the same way, in order to mark an important religious or social occasion ⇨ rite :
ancient pagan rituals
the importance of religion and ritual in our lives
The lady of the house performs the sacred ritual of lighting two candles.
2 . something that you do regularly and in the same way each time ⇨ routine
ritual of
the daily ritual of mealtimes
He went through the ritual of lighting his cigar.
II. ritual 2 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: ritualis , from ritus ; ⇨ ↑ rite ]
1 . done as part of a rite or ritual:
ritual dances
2 . done in a fixed and expected way, but without real meaning or sincerity:
The police issued the usual ritual apology.
—ritually adverb :
Animals are brought in and ritually slaughtered.