religious
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or concerned with religion.
a religious holiday.
-
imbued with or exhibiting religion; pious; devout; godly.
a religious man.
- Synonyms:
- reverent
- Antonyms:
- impious
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scrupulously faithful; conscientious.
religious care.
- Synonyms:
- rigorous, meticulous, strict, scrupulous
-
pertaining to or connected with a monastic or religious order.
-
appropriate to religion or to sacred rites or observances.
noun
plural
religious-
a member of a religious order, congregation, etc.; a monk, friar, or nun.
-
the religious, devout or religious persons.
Each year, thousands of the religious make pilgrimages to the shrine.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or concerned with religion
-
-
pious; devout; godly
-
( as collective noun ; preceded by the )
the religious
-
-
appropriate to or in accordance with the principles of a religion
-
scrupulous, exact, or conscientious
-
Christianity of or relating to a way of life dedicated to religion by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and defined by a monastic rule
noun
Related Words
Religious, devout, pious indicate a spirit of reverence toward God. Religious is a general word, applying to whatever pertains to faith or worship: a religious ceremony. Devout indicates a fervent spirit, usually genuine and often independent of outward observances: a deeply devout though unorthodox church member. Pious implies constant attention to, and extreme conformity with, outward observances. It can also suggest sham or hypocrisy: a pious hypocrite.
Other Word Forms
- antireligious adjective
- nonreligious adjective
- nonreligiousness noun
- overreligious adjective
- prereligious adjective
- pseudoreligious adjective
- quasi-religious adjective
- religiously adverb
- religiousness noun
- ultrareligious adjective
- ultrareligiousness noun
Etymology
Origin of religious
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English (from Old French ), from Latin religiōsus, equivalent to religi(ō) religion + -ōsus -ous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The demonstrations, initially sparked by economic anxiety but also including calls for greater social freedoms, were considered one of the most serious threats to the religious state.
From Barron's
He will be in charge until the religious leaders choose a successor.
Law enforcement sources say this includes evaluating whether the suspect acted with political, ideological or religious intent.
From Salon
In 2016, however, he was barred from the powerful Assembly of Experts because of lacking religious knowledge.
Iranian state media acknowledged his death late Saturday; Khamenei had led the Islamic Republic since 1989, centralizing religious and political power and steering Iran into prolonged confrontation with both Israel and the United States.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
