religious

American  

[ri-lij-uhs] / rɪˈlɪdʒ əs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or concerned with religion.

   a religious holiday.

2. imbued with or exhibiting religion; pious; devout; godly.

   a religious man.

   Synonyms:

   reverent

   Antonyms:

   impious

3. scrupulously faithful; conscientious.

   religious care.

   Synonyms:

   rigorous, meticulous, strict, scrupulous

4. pertaining to or connected with a monastic or religious order.

5. appropriate to religion or to sacred rites or observances.

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noun

religious plural

1. a member of a religious order, congregation, etc.; a monk, friar, or nun.

2. the religious, devout or religious persons.

   Each year, thousands of the religious make pilgrimages to the shrine.

religious British  

/ rɪˈlɪdʒəs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or concerned with religion

2. 1. pious; devout; godly

   2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )

      the religious

3. appropriate to or in accordance with the principles of a religion

4. scrupulous, exact, or conscientious

5. 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

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noun

1. Christianity a member of an order or congregation living by such a rule; a monk, friar, or nun

Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• nonreligiousness
  noun
• religiousness
  noun
• ultrareligiousness
  noun
• antireligious
  adjective
• nonreligious
  adjective
• overreligious
  adjective
• prereligious
  adjective
• pseudoreligious
  adjective
• quasi-religious
  adjective
• ultrareligious
  adjective
• religiously
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• religious
  plural

Etymology

Origin of religious

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

Explanation

Religious, besides meaning "having to do with religion," can also mean "acting as if something is a religion." If you have never missed a broadcast of your favorite TV show for the last five years, then you're religious about it. Just as religion is a broad concept with multiple manifestations, the word religious can be used in many contexts. You could literally be describing someone's particular religious duties as prescribed by his religion. If you have a religious temperament, you think about spiritual things a lot. If someone is a fanatic about football, you could describe him as a religious fan. That doesn't mean he thinks the football is God, just that he really, really cares.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

religious

Friedkin’s movie shifted people’s perceptions about fear and played with longstanding ideas about the nuclear family and religious ideology, themes that were starting to be contested and debated as America moved further from ’50s-era sterility.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

Yet there is no viable model of religious freedom that simply leaves everyone alone to follow his or her conscience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

He attributed the rift to a number of things, including his parents’ religious beliefs, sibling rivalries and his family’s reaction to his fame.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

In recent years, as well as writing and presenting documentaries for Radio 4, Stourton fronted the network's religious affairs programme, Sunday, as well as regularly hosting The World At One and The World This Weekend.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

However, the overwhelming majority of White Southern citizens, as well as leaders of all stripes—from political, to religious, to civic— continued to resist the Supreme Court’s Brown decision.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• doctrinal
• holy
• sacred
• sectarian
• theological