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 makeup lovers, having a collection of lip liners is a rite of passage.
—Stixx Matthews, Essence, 7 May 2024
Tracking down your first Rolex is a rite of passage for any watch collector.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 7 May 2024
The list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, created in 2008, is meant to help protect global traditions, festivals, rites of passage, art forms and other practices.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2024
Scoring an exclusive invite to the Met Gala is a rite of passage for many stars.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
Spend your day either lolling around on the beaches or try out sailing (a Shelter Island rite of passage) on a sloop around the Peconic Bay.
—Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
Because home prices and mortgage rates have soared, many millennials lack the funds to purchase a first home, a rite of passage for older generations.
—USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Such grunt work has long been a rite of passage in investment banking, an industry at the top of the corporate pyramid that lures thousands of young people every year with the promise of prestige and pay.
—Rob Copeland, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Getting stung is a rite of passage for Belmont kiters; one local has endured the pain more than two dozen times.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024
Stixx Matthews, Essence, 7 May 2024
Tracking down your first Rolex is a rite of passage for any watch collector.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 7 May 2024
The list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, created in 2008, is meant to help protect global traditions, festivals, rites of passage, art forms and other practices.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2024
Scoring an exclusive invite to the Met Gala is a rite of passage for many stars.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
Spend your day either lolling around on the beaches or try out sailing (a Shelter Island rite of passage) on a sloop around the Peconic Bay.
—Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
Because home prices and mortgage rates have soared, many millennials lack the funds to purchase a first home, a rite of passage for older generations.
—USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Such grunt work has long been a rite of passage in investment banking, an industry at the top of the corporate pyramid that lures thousands of young people every year with the promise of prestige and pay.
—Rob Copeland, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Getting stung is a rite of passage for Belmont kiters; one local has endured the pain more than two dozen times.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rite of passage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 19 May. 2024.
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