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religious

[ ri-lij-uhs ]
/ rɪˈlɪdʒ əs /
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adjective
noun, plural re·li·gious.
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.

OTHER WORDS FOR religious

2 reverent.
3 scrupulous, strict, meticulous, rigorous, unswerving, undeviating.
See synonyms for religious on Thesaurus.com
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Origin of religious

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English (from Old French ), from Latin religiōsus, equivalent to religi(ō) religion + -ōsus -ous

synonym study for religious

2. 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 WORDS FROM religious

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH religious

religious , sacrilegious, sacrosanct
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to religious

clerical, devout, doctrinal, holy, moral, pious, sacred, sectarian, spiritual, theological, believing, devotional, divine, pontifical, supernatural, faithful, born-again, canonical, churchgoing, churchly

How to use religious in a sentence

  • These organizations are often of a quasi-religious or pseudo-religious character, and are participated in by both men and women.

    The Theory of the Leisure Class|Thorstein Veblen

  • For my own part I must frankly confess that such pseudo-religious exhibitions are disagreeable.

    Musical Memories|Camille Saint-Sans

  • There were others, among them a pseudo-religious brotherhood, membership in which was compulsory.

    Tangle Hold|F. L. Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for religious

religious
/ (rɪˈlɪdʒəs) /
adjective
of, relating to, or concerned with religion
  1. pious; devout; godly
  2. (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
Christianity a member of an order or congregation living by such a rule; a monk, friar, or nun

Derived forms of religious

religiously, adverbreligiousness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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