religion

noun

re·​li·​gion ri-ˈli-jən How to pronounce religion (audio)
1
: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
2
a(1)
: the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2)
: commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
b
: the state of a religious
a nun in her 20th year of religion
3
: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
4
archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
religionless adjective

Examples of religion in a Sentence

Many people turn to religion for comfort in a time of crisis. There are many religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Shinto is a religion that is unique to Japan. Hockey is a religion in Canada. Politics are a religion to him. Where I live, high school football is religion. Food is religion in this house.
Recent Examples on the Web But a majority of Americans continue to support LGBTQ rights and protections in housing, employment, and public accommodation, said PRRI, a nonprofit that conducts research on religion, values and public policy. Nicole Chavez, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Proponents of classical education argue that any student can find value in the same timeless texts—Augustine and Austen, Chaucer and Chesterton—regardless of that student’s race, religion, or class. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Dirty soda became a mocktail-esque mainstay in the state likely because Utah has a large Mormon population who don't typically drink alcohol because of their religion. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 They were colonized and forced off their land by the Japanese, made to give up their lifestyle as hunter-gatherers and forbidden from speaking their language and practicing their religion. Helen Schulman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 All these alternative energy sources underscore the common good, something that cuts across religion and politics. Nicholas Wyman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Share [Findings] A psycholinguistic analysis of posts on Twitter and Weibo during COVID-19 lockdowns found that residents of Lombardy grew increasingly focused on leisure and residents of Wuhan grew increasingly focused on religion. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 Only 13 percent of Protestants — a group that includes Methodists — and Catholics said IVF was morally wrong, as did just 9 percent of those unaffiliated with any organized religion, a fast-growing group with varied spiritual and theological beliefs. Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 The legal philosopher John Finnis made the originalist argument for fetal personhood in a 2021 essay in First Things, a journal about religion. Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'religion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back — more at rely

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Time Traveler
The first known use of religion was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near religion

Cite this Entry

“Religion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

religion

noun
re·​li·​gion ri-ˈlij-ən How to pronounce religion (audio)
1
a
: the service and worship of God or the supernatural
b
: belief in or devotion to religious faith or observance
c
: the state of a person in the religious life
a nun in her 20th year of religion
2
: a set or system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and ways of doing things
3
: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held with faith and strong feeling

More from Merriam-Webster on religion

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!