irreligious

American  

[ir-i-lij-uhs] / ˌɪr ɪˈlɪdʒ əs /

adjective

1. not religious; not practicing a religion and feeling no religious impulses or emotions.

2. showing or characterized by a lack of religion.

3. showing indifference or hostility to religion.

   irreligious statements.

   Synonyms:

   ungodly, sacrilegious, profane

---

irreligious British  

/ ˌɪrɪˈlɪdʒəs /

adjective

1. lacking in, indifferent to, or opposed to religious faith

---

Other Word Forms

• irreligiosity
  noun
• irreligiously
  adverb
• irreligiousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of irreligious

From the Latin word irreligiōsus, dating back to 1555–65. See ir- ², religious

Explanation

If you're irreligious, you don't believe in a religion, and you may even feel some bitterness toward religion in general. Being irreligious can vary from not caring one way or another about religion to actively opposing the very idea of religion. Atheism — not believing in any god — and agnosticism — doubting the existence of god — are seen as irreligious. You're also irreligious if you do believe in god but don't belong to a religious group or attend religious services. The ir- prefix, not, is attached to religious, "believing in a religion."

Example Sentences

Irreligious he was not, himself, though skeptical on the one great tenet of Christianity.

From The Sea Lions The Lost Sealers by Cooper, James Fenimore

Irreligious people often do have a great deal of common sense, you know.

From The Preliminaries And Other Stories by Comer, Cornelia A. P.

Irreligious till now, her thoughts turned to religion.

From A Book of Remarkable Criminals by Irving, Henry Brodribb

The Religious and Irreligious Impression of Nature.—A true believer must be to us an object of veneration, but the same holds good of a true, sincere, convinced unbeliever.

From Human, All-Too-Human, Part II by Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm

Irreligious I'm not; but I look on this sphere As a place where a man should just think like a man.

From Poems — Volume 1 by Meredith, George