: of, in accordance with, or characterized by the use of ritual: such as
a
: relating to or done as a ceremony or rite
a ritualistic dance
For Rick, the clincher came in 2001, when he discovered 20 identical trumpets, made from a type of conch shell … . The trumpets were highly decorated, indicating a ritualistic use. Michael Brooks
Ritualistic language (such as the oyez, oyez, oyez or hear ye, hear ye, hear ye that opens a court session) separates legal proceedings from ordinary life, marking them as being special and important. Peter Tiersma
b
: done in accordance with social custom or normal protocol
Bush made the ritualistic visits to polling places, making a last-minute bid for support in this intense and important contest. Jeanne Meserve
c
: of, relating to, or being an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner
The repetitive nature of online tasks—checking e-mail, searching for data, sending replies—has a soothing, ritualistic quality … . Maia Szalavitz
2
: stressing the use of ritual forms : adhering to or devoted to ritualism
We can look at Stonehenge not only to envision the ancient, ritualistic people who built it, but also to imagine a version of ourselves closer to nature … according to Wisser. Jed Oelbaum