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

Example Sentences

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
These, in turn, depended on healthy communities and institutions like the family, schools, neighborhoods, unions, local governments and religious and ethnic groups. Robert D. Mcfadden, New York Times, 1 June 2023 The youngest of nine children, she had been raised in a religious cult in rural Washington and moved to Klamath Falls with her family at age 9, Schwartz said. oregonlive, 1 June 2023 Iraqi Minister of Culture,Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Fakak al-Badrani, himself a native Moslawi, addressed the overflowing audience of local civic and religious leaders, alongside Iraqi and international media, and noted the project’s symbolic importance for the city, the nation and the world. Dr. Richard Kurin, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 May 2023 There’s no admission fee, no dogs, no politics and no religious orders. Anchorage Daily News, 29 May 2023 Both Nevada and Oklahoma on Thursday passed laws allowing Native American students to wear religious and cultural regalia at graduation ceremonies. Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 27 May 2023 But Erdogan has steadily pushed the nation into a more religious sphere, while seizing more autocratic powers. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2023 Sivas is intimately familiar with the consequences of incendiary rhetoric, as the site of a massacre in 1993 carried out by Sunni Muslim extremists on a gathering of intellectuals and artists who were members of Turkey’s Alevi religious minority. Kareem Fahim, Washington Post, 27 May 2023 These political commentators, conservative politicians and religious legal groups have led the calls to boycott the companies while also supporting a historic wave of state legislation that seeks to restrict LGBTQ rights. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 26 May 2023
Noun
As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras. Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020 See More

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 8 Jun. 2023.

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

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