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• Bible Belt
  Bible Belt

  noun

  an area of the U.S., chiefly in the South and Midwest, noted for its religious fundamentalism.
• Bible belt
  Bible belt

  An area noted for religious fundamentalism; specifically, parts of the American South and Midwest. For example, You wouldn't dare try to sell a sex manual in the Bible belt. This term alludes to the prevalence of evangelical revivals, strict morals, belief in the literal truth of the Bible, and similar traits. [c. 1920]

Bible Belt

American  

noun

1. an area of the U.S., chiefly in the South and Midwest, noted for its religious fundamentalism.

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Bible Belt British  

noun

1. those states of the S US where Protestant fundamentalism is dominant

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Bible Belt Cultural  

1. An area of the United States, including the South and parts of the Middle West, where fervent Protestant fundamentalism is strong. (See Scopes trial.)

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Bible belt Idioms  

1. An area noted for religious fundamentalism; specifically, parts of the American South and Midwest. For example, You wouldn't dare try to sell a sex manual in the Bible belt. This term alludes to the prevalence of evangelical revivals, strict morals, belief in the literal truth of the Bible, and similar traits. [c. 1920]

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Etymology

Origin of Bible Belt

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

Growing up in the Bible Belt, I took great solace in promises of God’s protection, His plans for my life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Most days, in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Bible Belt, the old sanctuary at Christ Lutheran Church sits empty.

From Salon • Jul. 21, 2025

Mark was from the Bible Belt; my parents were Holocaust survivors.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2025

Throughout this month, persistent triple-digit temperatures have blanketed the Bible Belt, sometimes exceeding 120 degrees.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2023

Other donors to the Christian Union are members of local elites across the Bible Belt.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times