previous / next

ceremonial  –  ceremonious

[different end pronunciation]

Ceremonial” means ‘the formal rules of a social or religious ceremony, and doing something according to the rules and formalities’, ‘rituals’

a Japanese couple wearing ceremonial clothes
a Japanese couple wearing ceremonial clothes/garb

e.g.

The King and the Queen attended the ceremony in their full ceremonial dress.

a gradiate in his ceremonial robes
a gradiate in his ceremonial robes

Ceremonious” means ‘too much liking for formal behaviour; too formally polite; formalities overdone’,

a ceremonious Chinese dinner on the New Year's Eve
a ceremonious Chinese dinner on the New Year’s Eve

e.g.

She was inclined to be ceremonious. [i.e. she likes to do things in a very strict formal way, at times overdoing things, often used to express negative sense, e.g. "She sticks labels showing directions to the toilet, corridor or even the fridge on the walls of her own house when she throws a casual Saturday night get together party!"]

<<< Back to List C

<<< Back to main page /  Next chap ~ chop >>>

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

Comments are closed.