Meaning & use
religious subgroup
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Meaning
nouncountable
A smaller group of people within a religion who share particular beliefs or practices.
Grammar: Countable: 'a religious subgroup', 'several religious subgroups'. Often followed by 'within' or 'of'.
Patterns
- a religious subgroup within something
- a religious subgroup of a religion
- belong to a religious subgroup
Researchers interviewed members of several religious subgroups in the city.
The Sufis form a well-known religious subgroup within Islam.
Each religious subgroup has its own festivals and dietary rules.
Word forms
| plural | religious subgroups |
|---|
Common combinations
- a religious subgroup within
- The Amish are a religious subgroup within Christianity.
- belong to a religious subgroup
- About a fifth of the population belongs to a religious subgroup.
- a minority religious subgroup
- The law protects minority religious subgroups.
- the beliefs of a religious subgroup
- The survey asked about the beliefs of each religious subgroup.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sect
- Often suggests a group that has separated and is viewed negatively; 'religious subgroup' is neutral.
- denomination
- Common for branches of Christianity, such as Methodist or Baptist; it fits less well for other religions.
- faith group
- A broader term that can include a whole religion, not just a part of one.
Word family
Commonly confused: religious subgroup or cult?
religious subgroup vs cult
'Cult' is strongly disapproving and suggests control and isolation; 'religious subgroup' is a neutral, academic term.
Practice
The Sufis are a religious subgroup ______ Islam.
Choose one answer.
'Within' means inside a larger religion, which fits the meaning. 'Among' suggests being scattered between separate things, and 'between' needs two or more distinct items.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “religious subgroup”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.