religion

noun

re·li·gion | \ri-ˈli-jən

Definition of religion

1a : the state of a religious a nun in her 20th year of religion

b(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

Other Words from religion Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about religion

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for religion

Synonyms

devotion, faith, piety

Antonyms

atheism, godlessness

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

The police operation marked the beginning of the end for York, a pseudo-religious leader who eluded justice for decades while amassing a nationwide following for his bizarre blend of religion, mysticism and claims about alien life. — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE.com, "The Story Behind a Black Supremacist Cult That Lived in Egyptian-Themed Compound in Rural Georgia," 6 July 2018 Its theology was a mishmash of thoughts from a variety of Eastern and Western religions, including Tantric Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, peppered with some of Nostradamus' prophecies. — NBC News, "Founder of doomsday cult behind deadly 1995 Tokyo subway gas attack executed in Japan," 6 July 2018 Under North Carolina statutes, a bar or restaurant can refuse to serve you for any reason other than race, religion, national origin, gender or disability. — Kathleen Purvis And Myah Ward, charlotteobserver, "Here's what you need to know about drunk driving in the Carolinas," 29 June 2018 Twenty percent of all hate crimes in 2016 targeted religion, driven by increases in anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic attacks. — Brian Levin, James J. Nolan, CBS News, "New data shows US hate crimes continued to rise in 2017," 26 June 2018 Other offences have included holding strong religious views, allowing others to preach religion, asking where one’s relatives are and failing to recite the national anthem in Chinese. — The Economist, "China has turned Xinjiang into a police state like no other," 31 May 2018 Soccer is religion here, and the World Cup is when local rivalries simmer down to unite for the greater cause. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "What to Do in Buenos Aires in June 2018," 24 May 2018 Hey, values of country, family, religion, have been left out. — Elizabeth Crane, Recode, "Full transcript: ‘Microtrends’ author and political strategist Mark Penn on Recode Decode," 18 May 2018 To qualify for asylum, applicants must prove they have been persecuted or fear persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political beliefs or membership in a particular group. — The New York Times, cleveland.com, "Migrant caravan, after grueling trip, reaches U.S. border," 30 Apr. 2018

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.