English Explanatory Dictionary

religion

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Belief in a spiritual or metaphysical reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief.
  2. A particular system of such belief, and the rituals and practices proper to it.
  3. The way of life committed to by monks and nuns.
  4. Rituals and actions associated with religious beliefs, but considered apart from them.
  5. Any practice to which someone or some group is seriously devoted.
  6. Faithfulness to a given principle; conscientiousness.
verb
  1. Engage in religious practice.
  2. Indoctrinate into a specific religion.
  3. To make sacred or symbolic; sanctify.

Pronunciation

/ɹɪˈlɪd͡ʒ.ən/ En-uk-religion.ogg en-us-religion.ogg /ɹəˈləd͡ʒ.ən/

Word forms

religion religions religioning religioned

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin religiōbor. Old French religionbor. Middle English religioun English religion From Middle English religioun, from Old French religion, from Latin religiō (“scrupulousness, pious misgivings, superstition, conscientiousness, sanctity, an object of veneration, cult-observance, reverence”). Most likely from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂leg- with the meanings preserved in Latin dīligere and legere (“to read repeatedly”, “to have something solely in mind”). Displaced Old English ǣfæstnes (“religion, lawfulness”).

Synonyms

faith religion theism belief credo creed superstition

Antonyms

nonreligion nonreligiousness nonbelief unbelief irreligion irreligiousness atheism antitheism antireligion antireligiousness

Related words

antireligious organized religion religiophobia religiopolitical religiosity afterlife animism atheism belief church crusade cult druid faith holy holy man jihad monk monotheism mystic nun order polytheism priest reincarnation sacred sage sect seer shaman shrine spirituality spiritual leader superstition temple wizard

Derived words

American civil religion antireligion conreligion counterreligion find religion freedom of religion get religion irreligious lip religion misreligion natural religion neo-religion nonreligion overreligion parareligion protoreligion pseudoreligion religicide religiofascist religofascist religionary religionism religionist religionistic religionization religionize religionless religionlike religion of peace religion of piss religionwise religiose religious religism religist religitard religtard secular religion self religion self-religion subreligion unreligion urreligion war of religion
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