religiously
Americanadverb
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in a way that is related to or concerned with religion.
We believe matters of faith should be handled by religiously educated staff.
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faithfully, sincerely, and with pious devotion.
The tribe religiously observes the rite of ancestral veneration as an integral part of their cultural heritage.
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with scrupulous or conscientious regularity or diligence.
Initially I took composting very seriously; I made a perfectly square pair of bins for composting and turned my piles religiously.
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habitually or without fail.
Religiously, every Saturday night, I recorded my favorite comedy show on BBC Radio.
Other Word Forms
- antireligiously adverb
- nonreligiously adverb
- overreligiously adverb
- pseudoreligiously adverb
- quasi-religiously adverb
- ultrareligiously adverb
Etymology
Origin of religiously
Explanation
If you do something religiously, you can be relied on to do it on a regular basis. If you never forget to floss your teeth at night, no matter how tired you are, you can say you floss religiously. You might go to church religiously, every single Sunday, but an activity doesn't need to be religious for you to do it religiously. Religion is the key to this adverb's origin — it originally meant just "in a religious manner." But these days you can use it to describe any activity you're devoted to, whether it's religiously watching your favorite TV show or drinking a cup of tea religiously every afternoon.
Vocabulary lists containing religiously
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.
Prosia popped his vitamins religiously, pushed himself to work out more vigorously and cut out alcohol.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
The neighbors began reporting things to 311 religiously.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
Similar to the concept of America's "separation of church and state", proponents of laïcité believe that state institutions should be religiously neutral.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Such marriages between prominent religiously conservative families are common among the Iranian political establishment.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Her parents dine here religiously on Friday nights, and she informs me that our dinner must be put on their tab.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
