rite of passage
noun
plural rites of passage
: a ritual, event, or experience that marks or constitutes a major milestone or change in a person's life
Rites of passage celebrate the social movement of individuals into and out of groups or into or out of statuses of critical importance to the individual and to the community. Reproduction, the achievement of manhood and womanhood, marriage, and death are the principal worldwide occasions for rites of passage.—
Marvin Harris
Marvin HarrisFor them the two years of missionary work, with the rigorous bootcamp-style training preceding it, is a rite of passage between graduation and marriage, adolescence and adult life.—Malise Ruthven
Malise RuthvenToday, when each year American society becomes more complex, a veritable tapestry of nationalities, the strongest of our common threads may well be the rites of passage all immigrants face.—Harold Holzer
Harold HolzerThe author, grandson of the poet Allen Tate, dropped out of Sewanee University after going through the by-now familiar 1960's rite of passage of drugs, sex, and antiwar demonstrations …—Caroline Seebohm
compare initiation rite
Caroline SeebohmExamples of rite of passage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After all, most rites of passage mark the completion of something: a graduation, retirement, birthday, anniversary.
—Devon Fredericksen, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Skating on frozen ponds and lakes is a winter rite of passage, along with snowshoeing across pristine state and national parks with trails and spectacular viewscapes.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
The fete to plants is a Philly rite of passage and signals the coming spring.
—Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025
From the age of four, Toby Dawson was training to become one of the best mogul skiers of his generation, forgoing many of the typical childhood rites of passage for time on the slopes.
—Megan Tady, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
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Devon Fredericksen, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Skating on frozen ponds and lakes is a winter rite of passage, along with snowshoeing across pristine state and national parks with trails and spectacular viewscapes.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
The fete to plants is a Philly rite of passage and signals the coming spring.
—Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025
From the age of four, Toby Dawson was training to become one of the best mogul skiers of his generation, forgoing many of the typical childhood rites of passage for time on the slopes.
—Megan Tady, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rite of passage
Dictionary Entries Near rite of passage
Cite this Entry
“Rite of passage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rite%20of%20passage. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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