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
For Black women, switching up our hair is almost a rite of passage—second nature, even.
—Lyric Christian, Essence, 1 May 2025
Across history, grief has long been honored as a sacred rite of passage.
—Devi Brown, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
In what may be a rite of passage for new, big-name quarterback transfers, Beck is planning to take his offensive line out for dinner this weekend.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025
Bit by bit and then all at once, the concept of leaving one’s spouse has become, for women, almost fetishized—a rite of passage on the way to meeting one’s true self.
—Tara Ellison, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rite of passage
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Lyric Christian, Essence, 1 May 2025
Across history, grief has long been honored as a sacred rite of passage.
—Devi Brown, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
In what may be a rite of passage for new, big-name quarterback transfers, Beck is planning to take his offensive line out for dinner this weekend.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025
Bit by bit and then all at once, the concept of leaving one’s spouse has become, for women, almost fetishized—a rite of passage on the way to meeting one’s true self.
—Tara Ellison, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 11 May. 2025.
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