religious

1 of 2

adjective

re·​li·​gious ri-ˈli-jəs How to pronounce religious (audio)
1
: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity
a religious person
religious attitudes
2
: of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances
joined a religious order
3
a
: scrupulously and conscientiously faithful
religiously adverb
religiousness noun

religious

2 of 2

noun

plural religious
: a member of a religious order under monastic vows

Examples of religious in a Sentence

Adjective My religious beliefs forbid the drinking of alcohol. Religious leaders called for an end to the violence. His wife is very active in the church, but he's not religious himself.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Arab and Muslim Americans face significantly higher rates of mental illness, studies from major medical journals show — including suicide rates that are more than double those of other religious groups. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 The whole Reefer Madness craze dates back to a 1936 anti-drug film that was originally financed by a religious group under the title Tell Your Children. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 For many years, Ethiopian heritage authorities have been calling for the restitution of a sprawling collection of royal, religious and military artifacts looted during the battle. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 And their apathetic, religious mother (Maura Tierney), who would rather ignore any issue than help her sons, sure doesn't help. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 5 Mar. 2024 While the Louisiana law was originally intended as a compromise between religious groups skeptical of IVF and the medical community, some now worry its interpretation can be stretched much further, akin to the Alabama ruling, which would pose more hurdles for those seeking reproductive care. Anumita Kaur, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 In Ireland, he's celebrated with religious services and feasts. Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 Also Thursday, the Xinjiang government enacted stricter rules governing religious expression, part of a campaign to Sinicize places and forms of worship of the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs. Simina Mistreanu, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 Under these dynasties, the Lunar New Year was named the Spring Festival, focusing more on social festivities than religious ties. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras. Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'religious.' 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

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French religius, from Latin religiosus, from religio

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French religius, from religius, adjective

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near religious

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

religious

1 of 2 adjective
re·​li·​gious ri-ˈlij-əs How to pronounce religious (audio)
1
: devoted to God or to the powers or forces believed to govern life
a very religious person
2
: of or relating to religion
religious beliefs
3
: very devoted and faithful
performed his duties with religious regularity
religiously adverb
religiousness noun

religious

2 of 2 noun
plural religious
: a member of a religious order

More from Merriam-Webster on religious

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