Meaning & use
undenominational
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparableformal
Not belonging to or controlled by any particular religious group.
Grammar: Used before a noun, as in 'an undenominational school'.
Patterns
- undenominational school
- undenominational organization
The charity runs an undenominational shelter for people of all faiths.
They chose an undenominational ceremony that included no specific prayers.
The school describes itself as undenominational and welcomes students from any background.
Common combinations
- undenominational school
- The undenominational school teaches children from many religions.
- undenominational service
- The memorial was an undenominational service open to everyone.
- undenominational charity
- She donated to an undenominational charity that helps the homeless.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nondenominational
- Nondenominational is the more common American spelling and is used in the same way.
- interdenominational
- Interdenominational means involving several denominations working together, while undenominational means belonging to none.
Opposites
Word family
- denomination noun
- A particular religious group within a larger faith.
- denominational adjective
- Belonging to a particular religious group.
Commonly confused: undenominational or nondenominational?
undenominational vs nondenominational
Both mean the same, but nondenominational is far more frequent in American English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'undenominational' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Undenominational means not tied to any single religious group, so it welcomes all. Option 0 contradicts this by naming a specific group; option 2 confuses it with having no building; option 3 is the opposite of the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “undenominational”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.