Meanings
rite1
plural rites
- A religious custom.
- broadlyA prescribed behavior.
But he had to perform the rites of hospitality, had to behave politely to his ally.
1989, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, translated by H. T. Willetts, August 1914, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN1 more example
It was the capable manager's long-established custom to escort Mrs Pridger to a theatre once a week, and Saturday evening had come to be the occasion of this rite.
1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries
rite2
- informalnot comparableInformal spelling of right.
It's rite next to my house.
1 more example
1970-1975, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure One of our cats has a bald spot on his hind & it looks like it was shaved rite off.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan established ceremony prescribed by a religion
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
rite · noun
- Latinritus
- Englishrite
Via Middle English and Old French, from Latin ritus.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek τελετή, θέσμιον
- τελετή (teletḗ)ritual
- θέσμιον (thésmion)ritual
Arabic طَقْس دِينِيّ, شَعِيرَة
- طَقْس دِينِيّ (ṭaqs dīniyy)ritual
- شَعِيرَة (šaʕīra)ritual
- طَقْس (ṭaqs)ritual
Bengali আচার
- আচার (acar)ritual
Bulgarian о́бред, ритуа́л
- о́бред (óbred)ritual
- ритуа́л (rituál)ritual
Catalan ritu
- rituritual
Chinese Mandarin 儀 /仪, 儀式 /仪式
- 儀 /仪 (yí)ritual
- 儀式 /仪式 (yíshì)ritual
- 典禮 /典礼 (diǎnlǐ)ritual
- 禮 /礼 (lǐ)ritual
Czech obřad, rituál
- obřadritual
- rituálritual
Danish ritus, rite
- ritusritual
- riteritual
Dutch ritus, kerkgebruik
- ritusritual
- kerkgebruikritual
Esperanto rito
- ritoritual
Estonian riitus, rituaal
- riitusritual
- rituaalritual
Finnish riitti
- riittiritual
French rite, es pl or
- riteritual
- es pl orritual
German Ritus, Brauch
- Ritusritual
- Brauchritual
Greek τελετουργία
- τελετουργία (teletourgía)ritual
Hebrew פולחן \ פֻּלְחָן
- פולחן \ פֻּלְחָן (pulkhán)ritual
Hindi अनुष्ठान
- अनुष्ठान (anuṣṭhān)ritual
Hungarian szertartás, ceremónia
- szertartásritual
- ceremóniaritual
- rítusritual
Icelandic helgiathöfn, helgisiður
- helgiathöfnritual
- helgisiðurritual
Indonesian upacara, ritus
- upacararitual
- ritusritual
Italian rito
- ritoritual
Japanese 儀式
- 儀式 (gishiki)ritual
Korean 의식
- 의식 (uisik)ritual
Latin rītus, caerimōnia
- rītusritual
- caerimōniaritual
Latvian rits, rituāls
- ritsritual
- rituālsritual
Lithuanian ritualas
- ritualasritual
Malay ritus
- ritusritual
Māori ritenga, kawanga
- ritengaritual
- kawangaritual
Norwegian Bokmål ritual
- ritualritual
Persian آیین
- آیین (âyin)ritual
Polish rytuał, obrządek
- rytuałritual
- obrządekritual
- obrzędritual
- rytritual
Portuguese rito
- ritoritual
Romanian ritual, rit
- ritualritual
- ritritual
Russian обря́д, ритуа́л
- обря́д (obrjád)ritual
- ритуа́л (rituál)ritual
Scottish Gaelic deas-ghnàth
- deas-ghnàthritual
Slovak obrad, rituál
- obradritual
- rituálritual
Spanish rito
- ritoritual
Swedish rit
- ritritual
Thai พิธี, พิธีกรรม
- พิธี (pí-tii)ritual
- พิธีกรรม (pí-tii-gam)ritual
Turkish ayin
- ayinritual
Ukrainian обря́д, ритуа́л
- обря́д (obrjád)ritual
- ритуа́л (rytuál)ritual
Vietnamese lễ nghi, nghi lễ
- lễ nghiritual
- nghi lễritual
- nghi thứcritual
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with rite
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
rite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rite
“rite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rite. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rite.
Source: rite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.