rite of passage
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rite of passage
- /ˌɹaɪt‿əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/ UK
- /ˌɹaɪt‿əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/ US
- [ˌɹaɪɾ‿əv-] US
Rhymes with -æsɪdʒ
Where it comes from
From rite + of + passage, a calque of French rite de passage. The French term was coined by French ethnographer and folklorist Arnold van Gennep (1873–1957) and popularized in his work Les rites de passage (1909).
noun rites of passage
-
A ceremony or series of ceremonies, often very ritualized, to celebrate a passage or transition from one stage of a person's life to another.
The passage through the jambs would thus signify regeneration or new birth, which was to be followed by either sacrifice or by the purifying rite of passage through the fire; for although the passages are so narrow that they could not be used as ordinary gates, they were wide enough for this purpose
Similar: rite de passage
- Any significant event or experience that marks a transition from one stage in a person's life to another. After John officially attained his majority, Robert bought him his first beer. This is a common American rite of passage.
Translations
Every language
noun ceremony or series of ceremonies to celebrate a passage or transition from one stage of a person’s life to another; any significant event or experience that mar
| Español | rito de paso, rito de pasamiento |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 通過儀礼 tsūka girei |
| 中文 | 成年禮 /成年礼 chéngniánlǐ, 成年儀式 /成年仪式 chéngnián yíshì |
| Português | rito de passagem |
| Français | rite de passage |
| Deutsch | Passageritus, Erwachsenwerden, Initiation, Initiationsritus, Übergangsritual, Übergangsritus |
| Italiano | rito di passaggio |
| Ελληνικά | διαβατήρια τελετή diavatíria teletí |
| Русский | обря́д посвяще́ния obrjád posvjaščénija |
| العربية | طَقْس الْعُبُور ṭaqs al-ʕubūr |
Talk about this word "rite of passage." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rite%20of%20passage. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. rite of passage. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rite%20of%20passage "rite of passage." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rite%20of%20passage.Cite this
@misc{rite_of_passage_2026,
title = {rite of passage},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rite%20of%20passage},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
