theological
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or involved with theology.
a theological student.
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based upon the nature and will of God as revealed to humans.
adjective
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of, relating to, or based on theology
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based on God's revelation to man of his nature, his designs, and his will
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informal difficult to understand; esoteric
Other Word Forms
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.
Operation Reconquista, they call it: a cohort of conservative Generation Z Christians working to steer America’s Protestant mainline churches back to theological orthodoxy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
It’s also a send-up of legal procedurals, with Lincoln’s cases including a fight over who’s the real Santa Claus and a custody battle that devolves into a theological debate.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
It can’t be all of them, because there’s some pretty serious theological differences that invariably bleed into politics.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
The bishop claimed Rev McCartney's allegations were the result of a personal grievance over theological differences.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Descartes, following in this tradition, used the word in S45 to refer to principles that ought, for theological reasons, to be acknowledged as false, but that are helpful if one pretends they might be true.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
