religious
Americanadjective
-
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
-
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.
In one passage of “In Memoriam,” Tennyson envisions the agony of his own death not in religious terms but in images drawn from biology:
Volunteering most commonly takes the form of service at religious institutions, including activities such as disaster relief organised by them.
From BBC
The same will happen in Syria if we don’t insist on the safety of the country’s many religious and ethnic minorities.
Stella is religious—she attends Catholic Mass—and Gerry is not.
Alongside the uptick in enforcement, the religious affairs ministry has also issued stricter orders.
From Barron's
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.
