rituelle

Rituelle is the feminine form of the French adjective rituel, meaning “relating to a ritual” or “ceremonial.” The masculine form rituel is used with masculine nouns (for example, un acte rituel). The word descends from Old French rituel, ultimately from Latin rituale, itself from ritus (rite). In use, rituelle describes things, actions, or procedures that have a ceremonial or ritual character and that are tied to religious, cultural, or social routines.

In anthropology, sociology, religious studies and related fields, rituel/rituelle denotes patterns of action that are repeated, codified, and performed within a community. The feminine form appears when it modifies a feminine noun, as in danse rituelle, cérémonie rituelle, pratique rituelle, or geste rituelle. The concept is closely related to the ideas of rites and ritualization and is often used to emphasize the ceremonial aspect of behavior rather than the mere function.

Rituelle is thus a grammatical form rather than a distinct theory or discipline; its relevance lies in describing the ritual character of practices, objects, or events. Related terms include ritual, rite, and liturgy, which describe similar ceremonial dimensions across different languages and traditions.