The word 仪式 (yíshì), meaning "ceremony" or "ritual", is formed through the logical combination of two conceptual characters. The first character, 仪 (yí), carries the core meaning of ceremony, propriety, or etiquette, establishing the word's fundamental theme of formal observance. The second character, 式 (shì), means form, pattern, or style, specifying that this propriety takes on a specific, structured, and formalized procedure. Thus, the compound naturally emerges from merging the idea of "ceremonial propriety" with the concept of a "prescribed form", perfectly encapsulating a formal ceremonial event.