religious

[ ri-lij-uhs ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or concerned with religion:

   a religious holiday.

2. imbued with or exhibiting religion; pious; devout; godly:

   a religious man.

   Synonyms: reverent

   Antonyms: impious

3. scrupulously faithful; conscientious:

   religious care.

   Synonyms: rigorous, meticulous, strict, scrupulous

4. pertaining to or connected with a monastic or religious order.
5. appropriate to religion or to sacred rites or observances.

noun

, plural re·li·gious.

1. a member of a religious order, congregation, etc.; a monk, friar, or nun.
2. the religious, devout or religious persons:

   Each year, thousands of the religious make pilgrimages to the shrine.

religious

/ rɪˈlɪdʒəs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or concerned with religion
2. 1. pious; devout; godly
   2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )

      the religious

3. appropriate to or in accordance with the principles of a religion
4. scrupulous, exact, or conscientious
5. Christianity of or relating to a way of life dedicated to religion by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and defined by a monastic rule

noun

1. Christianity a member of an order or congregation living by such a rule; a monk, friar, or nun

Derived Forms

• reˈligiousness, noun
• reˈligiously, adverb

Other Words From

• re·li·gious·ly adverb
• re·li·gious·ness noun
• an·ti·re·li·gious adjective
• non·re·li·gious adjective
• non·re·li·gious·ness noun
• o·ver·re·li·gious adjective
• pre·re·li·gious adjective
• pseu·do·re·li·gious adjective
• qua·si-re·li·gious adjective
• ul·tra·re·li·gious adjective
• ul·tra·re·li·gious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of religious¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English (from Old French ), from Latin religiōsus, equivalent to religi(ō) religion + -ōsus -ous

Synonym Study

Religious, devout, pious indicate a spirit of reverence toward God. Religious is a general word, applying to whatever pertains to faith or worship: a religious ceremony. Devout indicates a fervent spirit, usually genuine and often independent of outward observances: a deeply devout though unorthodox church member. Pious implies constant attention to, and extreme conformity with, outward observances. It can also suggest sham or hypocrisy: a pious hypocrite.

Example Sentences

If you’re a religious leader, you can give a sermon about climate and run a collection drive to support one of the groups above.

From Vox

Right now, voters with no religious affiliation look like they might back Biden in record numbers.

From FiveThirtyEight

During that meeting, McCoy called for another meeting with religious leaders, and agreed to talk more about the particular needs in their communities.

From Voice of San Diego

There are few things in India that enjoy religious and cultural sanctions as much as the use of cannabis does.

From Quartz

Now the fringe religious group Israelites of the New Universal Pact, mostly unknown outside Peru, holds 15 seats in a fractured national legislature after 2019’s elections, making it the country’s third largest party.

From Ozy

In 2009, a Pakistani Christian woman got into a religious argument with some Muslim women with whom she was harvesting berries.

From The Daily Beast

The gentleman was listed as Orthodox and kosher, which is way too religious for my friend whose JSwipe account I was test-driving.

From The Daily Beast

It is the kind of compassion espoused by every world religion and every revered religious leader.

From The Daily Beast

But the last national figure to wield ancient personal authority in an explicitly religious way was Robert F. Kennedy.

From The Daily Beast

In my search for answers about who I was, I pored over religious texts in search of enlightenment.

From The Daily Beast

On the thirteenth of the same month they bound to the stake, in order to burn alive, a man who had two religious in his house.

From Project Gutenberg

We shall recover again some or all of the steadfastness and dignity of the old religious life.

From Project Gutenberg

But you will find most colleges and most college societies bar religious instruction and discussion.

From Project Gutenberg

Hence arise factions, dissensions, and loss to their religious interests and work; and these intruders seek to rule the others.

From Project Gutenberg

So much for the attitude of the various schools of religious thought towards the Bible.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• doctrinal
• holy
• sacred
• sectarian
• theological