theological
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or involved with theology.
a theological student.
-
based upon the nature and will of God as revealed to humans.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or based on theology
-
based on God's revelation to man of his nature, his designs, and his will
-
informal difficult to understand; esoteric
Other Word Forms
- antitheological adjective
- nontheologic adjective
- nontheological adjective
- nontheologically adverb
- pretheological adjective
- semitheological adjective
- semitheologically adverb
- theologically adverb
- untheologic adjective
- untheological adjective
- untheologically adverb
Etymology
Origin of theological
First recorded in 1520–30; from Medieval Latin theologicālis, from theologic(us) (from Greek theologikós, from theolog(ía) theology + -ikos -ic ) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective theological to describe things related to religious studies. If you major in religion in college, you can call yourself a theological scholar. A theological university is often called a seminary, a school where all the students learn about some aspect of religion. Scholars use the word theology to describe a thoughtful and rational study of religious beliefs, ideas of God, the history of religion, and more. Some theological students become ministers or priests. The root word is Greek, theologia, "an account of the gods."
Vocabulary lists containing theological
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
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World Religions
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The Golden Compass
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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.
Progressive Christian voices, including influencer and commentator Tim Whitaker, described the comparison as “blasphemous,” reflecting a broader concern that religious language is being used in ways that distort core theological meaning.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
I read with interest Mr. Swaim’s piece, in which he describes Mr. Talarico’s theological views as “decidedly liberal.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Gafcon was formed in 2008 in response to theological differences within the Anglican Communion over the issue of same-sex unions.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
“These believers are obviously culturally engaged already, but we happen to believe that every form of cultural engagement needs to have a solid theological foundation and support, and we want to help to provide it.”
From Slate • Jan. 30, 2026
Enid believed there was only a “good Joyce,” that a “bad Joyce” was a theological impossibility, that any such person who might appear was by definition an imposter in the guise of her daughter.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
