Ceremony signifying an event in an individual’s life which indicates transition from one stage to the next, beginning in adolescence and progressing through adulthood. Any ritual performed in some secular or religious cultures at times when a person changes their status; for example, marriage and puberty. See also: birth rite; death rite; puberty rite.
RITE OF PASSAGE: “Getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage for any teenager.”