rites of passage
CulturalDiscover More
Rites of passage generally affirm community solidarity, especially in times of change or crisis.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It made up for missed teenage rites of passage — the senior prom, the homecoming dance, the debutante ball — by doubling down on sentimentality.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Insider detail: Unlike other animated franchises with fixed-time settings, “Toy Story” leaned in to rites of passage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
One of the most common rites of passage for young Americans is spending the long summer hours working as a camp counselor, lifeguarding at the local pool, stocking shelves or serving up dinners to regulars.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
The disaster left many students wondering whether they’d get to experience certain adolescent rites of passage, including prom.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2025
It felt to him as if he had just undergone some powerful rites of passage and now belonged to the western mountains instead of to the East Coast, fair-haired college culture.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
