Meaning & use
religious
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Connected with the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or with an organized faith.
Grammar: Used before a noun (religious holiday) or after be (they are religious); it can take more and most.
Patterns
- religious beliefs
- a religious person
Christmas is the best-known religious holiday in many countries.
The school welcomes children from every religious background.
Her religious views shaped the way she raised her children.
adjectivecomparable
Having a strong faith and following the practices of a religion with devotion.
Grammar: Describes a person: he is deeply religious; it can be intensified with very or deeply.
Patterns
- deeply religious
- be religious about something
His grandparents were deeply religious and prayed every morning.
I was not raised religious, but I enjoy visiting old churches.
They are very religious and attend services twice a week.
adjectivebefore a nounfigurative
Done with great care, faithfulness and regularity, as though it were a duty.
Grammar: Appears before a noun and often describes a habit: religious attention to detail.
Patterns
- religious about doing something
He watered the garden with religious regularity every evening.
She followed the recipe with religious precision.
He is religious about backing up his files.
nouncountableformal
A person bound by vows to a religious life, such as a monk or nun.
Grammar: Has the same form in the plural: the religious.
The religious of the abbey gathered for evening prayer.
Several religious joined the pilgrimage to Rome.
The convent houses a small community of religious.
Word forms
| comparative | more religious |
|---|---|
| superlative | most religious |
Common combinations
- religious belief
- Freedom of religious belief is protected by law.
- religious freedom
- Many families moved abroad for religious freedom.
- religious festival
- The city closes its main road for a religious festival.
- deeply religious
- His mother was deeply religious.
- religious education
- Religious education includes visits to different places of worship.
- religious leader
- The religious leader called for peace.
Synonyms and how they differ
- devout
- Devout describes a person with sincere, serious faith, so it is stronger than religious, which can be a simple label.
- pious
- Pious can show real faith but may also suggest showy or self-satisfied goodness.
- spiritual
- Spiritual is broader and can describe inner feeling without a formal faith, which religious usually implies.
- sacred
- Sacred describes things treated as holy, not people who have faith.
Opposites
Word family
- religion noun
- a system of faith and worship
- religiously adverb
- in a faithful, regular way, or in a way connected to faith
- religiosity noun
- the quality of being devoutly or excessively religious
- irreligious adjective
- showing no interest in or opposition to religion
- nonreligious adjective
- not following or connected with a religion
Commonly confused: religious or religion?
religious vs religion
Religion is the noun for the system of belief; religious is the adjective. Say religious people, not religion people.
Practice
She follows her morning exercise routine with ___ regularity.
Choose one answer.
Religious regularity is a set phrase meaning extremely faithful and regular. Sacred, spiritual and holy would sound odd with regularity.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “religious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.