Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Ritual
Ritual (RIH-chuh-wul)
An action or series of actions that is repeated, often in a religious or social setting. In medicine, it may describe a repeated action (such as hand washing) done to relieve feelings of fear, dread, and uneasiness in people who have an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.