cortege means A ceremonial procession, especially for a wedding or funeral or following a monarch. It carries an Arena rating of 1534, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, cortege ranks #1,607 of 17,115 for Most Vivid Words, #1,659 of 17,116 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,550 of 17,120 for Most Beautiful Words, #2,794 of 17,130 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
cortege is pronounced /kɔɹˈtɛʒ/.
Why “cortege” is a great word
A formal, often solemn, procession of attendants or mourners accompanying a principal figure, as in a funeral or royal progress. From French *cortège*, from Italian *corteggio* ("retinue, train of attendants"), from *corteggiare* ("to court, pay homage"), from *corte* ("court"), from Latin *cohors, cohortis* ("enclosure, courtyard; retinue, cohort"). Unlike a "retinue," which denotes a static group of followers, or a "parade," which implies public celebration, a cortege is defined by its ceremonial movement and its gravity. It is the slow, measured tread of black-clad figures behind a hearse on a rain-slicked street; the silent, stately progression of dignitaries through a vaulted hall; the inevitable, rolling passage of history made momentarily visible—a recognition that all homage, in the end, is a following.
noun
- A ceremonial procession, especially for a wedding or funeral or following a monarch.e.g.“Upon the morrow after their marriage, the bride and bridegroom perambulate the streets, followed by a numerous cortege, the guests at the wedding festival, two and two”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- processional 60% match — Of, pertaining to, or used during a procession, particularly at the start of a religious ceremony or wedding. vs cortege →
- procession 60% match — The act of progressing or proceeding. vs cortege →
- curiality 57% match — The privileges, prerogatives, or retinue of a court. vs cortege →
- ceque 57% match — Among the ancient Incas, a ceremonial processional line or route. vs cortege →
- catafalque 57% match — A platform used to display or convey a coffin during a funeral, often ornate. vs cortege →
- crucession 56% match — A procession headed by the cross of Christianity. vs cortege →
- ceremonial 56% match — Of, relating to, consisting of, or used in a ceremony. vs cortege →
- carcade 56% match — A form of celebration where a number of car owners drive slowly and sound their horns in a public place, for example after sporting events and weddings. vs cortege →