nonritual
|non-rit-u-al|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈrɪtʃuəl/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈrɪtʃuəl/
not ritual / not ceremonial
Etymology
'nonritual' is formed from the prefix 'non-' plus 'ritual'. 'Non-' comes from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', and 'ritual' comes from Latin 'ritualis' (from 'ritus') meaning 'rite' or 'ceremony'.
'ritual' entered English via Old French and Middle English from Latin 'ritualis' (from 'ritus'). The negative prefix 'non-' has been used in English since Middle English to form negations. The compound 'nonritual' is a modern English formation combining these elements to mean 'not ritual'.
Originally 'ritual' referred to matters of rite or ceremony; over time it broadened to mean anything formalized or customary. 'Nonritual' thus developed to denote the absence of those ritualized or formal characteristics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an act, practice, or event that is not a ritual; something lacking ritual formality.
They described the gathering as a nonritual, more like a casual reunion than a ceremony.
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Adjective 1
not performed as a ritual; lacking ritual characteristics; informal or not ceremonial.
The group preferred a nonritual greeting over the formal bow they had been taught.
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Last updated: 2025/11/20 05:24