ritualization: Meaning and Definition of

rit•u•al•i•za•tion

Pronunciation: (rich"-u-lu-zā'shun), [key]
— n.
  1. the act of ritualizing.
  2. the alteration of a behavior pattern, as by a change in intensity, in a way that increases its effectiveness as a signal to other members of the species.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.