state religion
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of state religion
First recorded in 1820–30
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.
He is considered a “sign of God” in Twelver Shiism, the largest branch of Shiism and the state religion of Iran.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026
Catholicism is the state religion, although it is no longer observed as strictly as in the past.
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
Islam, the official state religion of Saudi Arabia, the self-styled guardian of Islam’s holiest sites, also prohibits alcohol consumption.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026
Armenia is believed to be the first nation to make Christianity the state religion, after its king was baptised in 301AD.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2025
Early kings were themselves the head of the state religion or else had separate high priests.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
