religious 1 of 2

1
as in spiritual
of, relating to, or used in the practice or worship services of a religion Johann Sebastian Bach wrote some of the most beautiful religious music in the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

religious

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of religious
Adjective
As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras. Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
Noun
Now employers must show a substantial hardship when refusing to honor religious beliefs or practices, such as allowing employees to wear a yarmulke, hijab or turban, pray at work or to schedule work around religious observances. Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025 Reports from Catholic and evangelical congregations were beginning to make national headlines, raising questions about how religious institutions protected children. Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for religious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for religious
Adjective
  • With the moon transiting whimsical Pisces, the boundaries between the physical and spiritual blur, adding an imaginative and almost cinematic layer to the festivities.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).
    Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Supported, at least initially, by his pious wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and his two teenage daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki), Iman and his clan seem set for a comfy bourgeois life.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
  • She was considered pious and held in high regard in the community, which made the accusations against her surprising.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In their sultry dance, Robert took charge in the passionate performance.
    Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • East Fork gained a passionate following for its signature mugs sometime around 2019, but the brand has been producing ceramic dinnerware in North Carolina since founder Alex Matisse (yes, the great-grandchild of that Matisse) started the business in 2010.
    Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Valak first appears in the Conjuring universe in 2016’s The Conjuring 2, when the Warrens encounter a demon in the form of a nun.
    Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Guests have heard screams, and some have reported actually seeing a ghostly nun standing beside their bed.
    Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Added to the trauma of grief and sudden eviction under threat of reprisal, Adelaida has to endure seeing the sacred mementos of her mother’s life trashed by the thuggish new squatters.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The most surprising ghost story of the season isn’t horror at all, but rather the story of one of America’s great artists wrestling spirits and trying to contain them on a cassette, which serves as its own kind of sacred vessel.
    Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The actor, 76, has been a devout Buddhist for over 40 years.
    Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Many Latin acts, particularly from Puerto Rico, are devout Christians but don’t share their beliefs in their music.
    Leila Cobo, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • At Fox, Collier became known for his passional embrace of blockchain, NFTs and the whole Web3 space.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Nov. 2022
Noun
  • Santos was the Republican political novice who shocked everyone by winning a House seat in a traditionally Democratic New York district — and who was then promptly revealed as having fabricated virtually his entire personal, educational and business history.
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
  • But Ellison is no novice on this front, either.
    Josef Adalian, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Religious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/religious. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.

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