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Ritual vs Prayer - What's the difference?

ritual | prayer |

As nouns the difference between ritual and prayer

is that ritual is ritual, rite while prayer is a practice of communicating with one's god or prayer can be one who prays.

ritual

English

Alternative forms

* rituall (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Related to a rite or repeated set of actions.
    • They performed the ritual lighting of the candles.

    Derived terms

    * ritually

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • rite; a repeated set of actions
    • They carried out the ritual carefully.

    Derived terms

    * ritualisation, ritualization * ritualise, ritualize * ritualist * ritualistic * ritually

    prayer

    English

    (wikipedia prayer)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A practice of communicating with one's God.
  • The act of praying.
  • * , chapter=5
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer .}}
  • The specific words or methods used for praying.
  • A meeting held for the express purpose of praying.
  • A request; a petition.
    • Synonyms
    * orison, precation
    Derived terms
    * not have a prayer * prayer book * prayer meeting * friday prayer * prayer wheel

    Etymology 2

    (pray).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who prays.
    • Yep, Grandpa is a real prayer all right.