Spanish Conversation · Level 109
60 words
Spanish word
ritual
Pronunciation
IPA/riˈtwal/
Meaning
- masculine nounritual
Example
En la comunidad, cada año celebran un ritual.
In the community, every year they hold a ritual.
More examples
Por la mañana sigue un ritual diario de meditación antes de trabajar.
In the morning he follows a daily meditation ritual before going to work.
Core concept
A repeated, symbolic sequence of acts that marks a social or personal milestone.
Common phrases
ritual religioso
religious ritual
ritual de paso
rite of passage
ritual diario
daily ritual
Similar words
ceremonia: Takes place in an official or public setting and follows formal procedures.
rito: Follows a prescribed religious or traditional sequence of acts performed for spiritual meaning.
costumbre: Expresses a habitual practice shared by a community and carried out informally.
tradición: Persists across generations as a culturally significant practice passed down within a group.
Definition in Spanish
Conjunto de actos establecidos y repetidos que tienen valor simbólico y marcan un momento social o personal.
Word origin
Derived from Latin ritus meaning 'ceremonial practice', through the adjective ritualis, which established the noun for prescribed ceremonial routines.
Usage tips
- Common collocations include ritual religioso, ritual funerario and ritual diario, and when referring to one specific ceremonial act Spanish prefers rito.
Other meanings
- ritenoun
Opposites
- improvisaciónimprovisationnoun
- espontaneidadspontaneitynoun
Related words
- ritualizarritualizeverb
- ritualidadritualitynoun
- ritualísticoritualisticadjective