Definition of religion
1a : the state of a religious a nun in her 20th year of religionb (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4 : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
religionless
adjectiveIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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 of religion from the Web
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Almost a third said some religions are better than others, and 36 percent said some cultures are superior.
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That order, the subject of the 4th Circuit ruling, removed Iraq from the list, deleted references to religion and added national security rationales for the policy.
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British scholar Karen Armstrong on Wednesday won Spain’s Princess of Asturias award for social sciences in recognition of her investigations into world religions.
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Prison religion presents a baffling juxtaposition of good and evil, one that has inspired wonder, skepticism — and a sometimes strange array of ministries.
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A White House official told Axios that Kushner was the one who helped plan and oversee the first part of the trip — to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Italy — with the theme of speaking to 3 of the world’s biggest religions.
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Religion — specifically, the Kushner family's objection to the fact that Ivanka wasn't Jewish — was reportedly one of the reasons for their brief breakup in 2008.
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Spencer Kornhaber highlights how the singer’s career of female self-determination demonstrates the rights of religion, sexuality, and expression that much terrorism seeks to undo.
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Such discrimination, Judge Gregory wrote for the majority, violates the First Amendment’s ban on government establishment of religion.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'religion'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of religion
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
Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms
Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra
RELIGION Defined for English Language Learners
religion
playDefinition of religion for English Language Learners
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: the belief in a god or in a group of gods
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: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods
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: an interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group
RELIGION Defined for Kids
religion
playDefinition of religion for Students
1 : the belief in and worship of God or gods
2 : a system of religious beliefs and practices
Learn More about religion
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See words that rhyme with religion Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for religion Spanish Central: Translation of religion Nglish: Translation of religion for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of religion for Arabic speakers
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