devotional

adjective

di-ˈvō-shnəl How to pronounce devotional (audio)
Definition of devotionalnext
as in religious
of, relating to, or used in the practice or worship services of a religion a religious bookstore with an extensive stock of devotional literature

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 devotional The history of the golden rose reveals the shift of papal priorities from political alliance-building to devotional symbolism. — Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 Through artifacts spanning 5,000 years, the exhibition constructs an extraordinary history of fashion and the body—material, carnal, vulnerable, seductive, devotional, fragmented—and its transpositions into various expressive languages. — Judith Clark, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2026 The installation, for example, of a mostly new trove of colonial Spanish American devotional art is one of the current triumphs of LACMA overall. — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 The burial ground was likely Protestant due to a complete absence of devotional items, such as crosses and medals characteristic of Catholic burials. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for devotional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devotional
  1. religious
  2. sacred
  3. spiritual
  4. liturgical
Adjective
  • Three factions -- all aligned with Netanyahu's religious-nationalist base -- recommended Netanyahu be given a chance to form a coalition government, while a fourth -- led by a former Netanyahu ally turned rival -- recommended Eisenkot.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • She was drawn to the historical associations of religious persecution.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of religious
Adjective
  • Joe cut his teeth by working his way up the ranks; also maybe by hanging around a lot when dad Jack Buck broadcast for years from most of the sacred citadels of sports.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In Congress, Grijalva is preparing legislation to void existing waivers that have allowed DHS to disregard laws designed to protect tribal sovereignty, sacred sites and environmentally sensitive lands.
    — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of sacred
Adjective
  • At the heart of this approach is the belief that each child has a right to holistic, empathetic care during illness and throughout end of their life that considers their unique social, cultural, physical and spiritual needs.
    — Emilee Flynn, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
  • As Lefens mixes spiritual elements with the quotidian, the novel examines the paradoxes of safety, responsibility, and trust.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of spiritual
Adjective
  • Depending on your tolerance for grand aims and liturgical self-seriousness, her latest album may strike you as extraordinary or unbearable.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Along with the album, U2 released two surprise EPs this year, Days of Ash and Easter Lily, that turn out to be conceptually linked to the new album via the liturgical calendar, with carnival preceding Lent and Easter.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of liturgical

Browse Nearby Words

devotion
devotional
devotions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devotional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devotional. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on devotional

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about devotional

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All