solemnize
SOL-um-nyze
/ˈsɒl.əm.naɪz/
To perform a formal ceremony, especially a marriage, with deep religious or legal gravity.
Implies giving official, binding weight and dignity to a union or occasion through ceremony.
The story behind the word. From Old French solempniser, from Latin sollemnis ('established, sacred, taking place annually'). The Latin word originally referred to religious rites that occurred reliably every year at appointed festival times.
Word relationships
- celebrate: Celebrate can mean partying joyfully; solemnize means conducting a grave, formal, and legally binding ritual.
- commemorate: Commemorate means remembering a past event; solemnize means actively performing a formal binding ceremony.
- nullify: To invalidate or cancel a legal agreement or marriage contract.
Commonly confused with
- solace: Solace means comfort in sorrow; solemnize means to conduct a formal ceremony.
Word family
- solemn (adjective): Dignified, serious, and deeply serious.
- solemnity (noun): The state or quality of being serious and dignified.
- solemnization (noun): The formal performance of a religious or legal ceremony.
Collocations
- solemnize a marriage
- solemnize a union
- authorized to solemnize
- solemnize a pact
Example sentences
- "The minister was authorized by the state to solemnize marriages in the chapel." Legal & Religious Context
- "The treaty was solemnized with a grand feast and public oaths exchanged by both rulers." Historical Record
Memory hook
SOLEMN + IZE = To make an occasion deeply SOLEMN and official. To perform a ceremony with solemn gravity.
When not to use
Do not use for informal parties or lightweight celebrations.
Fun facts
- In Anglo-American law, 'solemnization of marriage' is the legal phrase required on official marriage certificates.
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