# rite of passage

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌɹaɪt‿əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/

## Definitions
1. A ceremony or series of ceremonies, often very ritualized, to celebrate a passage or transition from one stage of a person's life to another.
2. Any significant event or experience that marks a transition from one stage in a person's life to another.

## Etymology
From rite + of + passage, a calque of French rite de passage. The French term was coined by French ethnographer and folklorist Arnold van Gennep (1873–1957) and popularized in his work Les rites de passage (1909).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rite-of-passage