ceremonious

adjective cer·e·mo·ni·ous \ˌser-ə-ˈmō-nē-əs, ˌse-rə-\

: formal and serious : suitable for a ceremony

Full Definition of CEREMONIOUS

: devoted to forms and ceremony <ceremonious courtiers>

: of, relating to, or constituting a ceremony <a ceremonious occasion>

: according to formal usage or prescribed procedures <the cold and ceremonious politeness of her curtsey — Jane Austen>

: marked by ceremony <a ceremonious procession>

— cer·e·mo·ni·ous·ly adverb

— cer·e·mo·ni·ous·ness noun

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First Known Use of CEREMONIOUS

1553

Related to CEREMONIOUS

Synonyms: correct, decorous, formal, nice, proper, punctilious, starchy, stiff, stiff-necked, stilted

Antonyms: casual, easygoing, informal, laid-back, unceremonious

Synonym Discussion of CEREMONIOUS

ceremonial, ceremonious, formal, conventional mean marked by attention to or adhering strictly to prescribed forms. ceremonial and ceremonious both imply strict attention to what is prescribed by custom or by ritual, but ceremonial applies to things that are associated with ceremonies <a ceremonial offering>, ceremonious to persons given to ceremony or to acts attended by ceremony <made his ceremonious entrance>. formal applies both to things prescribed by and to persons obedient to custom and may suggest stiff, restrained, or old-fashioned behavior <a formal report> <the headmaster's formal manner>. conventional implies accord with general custom and usage <conventional courtesy> and may suggest a stodgy lack of originality or independence <conventional fiction>.