n. A religious observance; a solemn rite.n. The formalities observed on some solemn or important public or state occasion in order to render it more imposing or impressive: as, the ceremony of crowning a king, or of laying a foundation-stone; the ceremony of inaugurating the President of the United States.n. A usage of politeness, or such usages collectively; formality; a punctilious adherence to conventional forms; punctilio.n. A ceremonial symbol or decoration.n. A sign or portent; a prodigy.n. An officer in many European cathedrals whose business it is to see that all the ceremonies, vestments, etc., peculiar to each season and festival are observed in the choir.n. Synonyms Form, Ceremony, Rite, Observance. Form is the most general of these words; it is impossible to join in worship without the use of some forms, however simple; we speak of legal forms, etc. Ceremony is a broader word than rite, in that a rite is always solemn and either an act of religion or suggestive of it, as marriage-rites, the rites of initiation, while ceremony goes so far as to cover forms of politeness. A rite is generally a prescribed or customary form, while a ceremony may be improvised tor an occasion: as, the ceremony of laying a corner-stone or opening a new bridge. Observance is primarily a compliance with a requirement, as in religion, where the word was applied to the act of compliance; as, the observance of the sabbath.To confirm or join by a ceremony.