From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishceremonialcer‧e‧mo‧ni‧al1 /ˌserəˈməʊniəl◂ $ -ˈmoʊ-/ adjective 1 TRADITION[usually before noun] used in a ceremony or done as part of a ceremony the mayor’s ceremonial duties Native American ceremonial robes2 if a position in a country or organization is ceremonial, it gives no real power the largely ceremonial post of president
Examples from the Corpus
ceremonial• Is it now time to throw away the charts and graphs, have a ceremonial burning of the diary?• Images from seals and from the frescoes themselves show people moving majestically in ceremonial costumes to places of sacrifice.• The Queen was in full ceremonial dress for the state opening of Parliament.• What the men brought home was ceremonial food, feasting food, not the food of every day.• Frazer writes about the ceremonial king of so many prehistoric agricultural societies.• On ceremonial occasions they thrust themselves forward with their cameras.• The king wore it on a ribbon around his neck on ceremonial occasions.• The full costume is only worn on important ceremonial occasions.• The Vice Mayor is a largely ceremonial position.• In 1060 his body was raised for ceremonial purposes.• His right hand rested on his ceremonial sword.ceremonialceremonial2 noun [countable, uncountable] TRADITIONa special ceremony, or special formal actions an occasion for public ceremonialExamples from the Corpus
ceremonial• The relationship was made manifest at the life crisis ceremonials of partner lineages.• The man with the feather brush is indispensable in the highest ceremonials, and is present on the most ordinary occasions.• Sharing is rare in primates and the chimpanzee behaviour may indicate the sources of human mealtime ceremonials.• Thomson's entree to the court of Siam enabled him to make an important record of ceremonials there.• Thus such ceremonials do not violate the First Amendment unless the language used in them is unacceptable. 