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religion definition

Overview

This page has 21 definitions of religion with English translations in 9 languages. Religion is a noun and verb. Examples of how to use religion in a sentence are shown. Also define these 0 related words and terms: .

See also: Religion and religión

English religion definition

Symbols of various religions
Ra, God of the Sun in Ancient Egyptian religion

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English religioun, from Old French religion, from Latin religiō (“scrupulousness, pious misgivings, superstition, conscientiousness, sanctity, an object of veneration, cult-observance, reverence”). Most likely from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂leg- with the meanings preserved in Latin dīligere and legere (“to read repeatedly”, “to have something solely in mind”). Displaced Old English ǣfæstnes (“religion, lawfulness”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɹɪˈlɪd͡ʒən/
  • Rhymes: -ɪd͡ʒən
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (UK)(file)

Noun

religion (countable and uncountable, plural religions)

  1. (uncountable) Belief in a spiritual or metaphysical reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief.
    Synonym: faith
    My brother tends to value religion, but my sister not as much.
    • 1902, William James, “Lecture 2”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience […] ‎[1], London: Longmans, Green & Co.:
      Most books on the philosophy of religion try to begin with a precise definition of what its essence consists of. […] I shall not be pedantic enough to enumerate any of them to you now. Meanwhile the very fact that they are so many and so different from one another is enough to prove that the word “religion” cannot stand for any single principle or essence, but is rather a collective name.
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 160:
      Phallicism was, therefore, at the root of all religion, and was definitely the opponent of evil and darkness.
    • 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 103:
      Religion is not identical with spirituality; rather, religion is the form spirituality takes in a civilization; it is not so much the opiate of the masses as it is the antidote for the poisons of civilization.
  2. (countable) A particular system of such belief, and the rituals and practices proper to it.
    Synonym: faith
    Hypernym: belief system
    Islam is a major religion, particularly in North Africa and Southwest Asia.
    Mormonism is a new religion, while Zoroastrianism is an old one.
    • 1722, William Wollaston, “Sect. V. Truths relating to the Deity. Of his exiſtence, perfection, providence, &c.”, in The Religion of Nature Delineated‎[2], page 81:
      Ignorant and ſuperſtitious wretches meaſure the actions of letterd and philoſophical men by the tattle of their nurſes or illiterate parents and companions, or by the faſhion of the country: and people of differing religions judge and condemn each other by their own tenents; when both of them cannot be in the right, and it is well if either of them are.
    • 1989 February 10, Stephen Fry et al., “Christening”, in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, season 1, episode 5:
      Priest: I wasn't being rude.
      Father: Just bear in mind that there are plenty of other religions you know. Some of them, I may say, offering much greater range and value.
  3. (uncountable) The way of life committed to by monks and nuns.
    The monk entered religion when he was 20 years of age.
  4. (uncountable, informal) Rituals and actions associated with religious beliefs, but considered apart from them.
    Synonym: (pejorative) superstition
    I think some Christians would love Jesus more if they weren't so stuck in religion.
    Jack's spiritual, but he's not really into religion.
  5. (countable) Any practice to which someone or some group is seriously devoted.
    At this point, Star Trek has really become a religion.
    • 1985, Joan Morrison, Share House Blues, Boolarong Publications, page 97:
      'Religion can't exist without mystery, especially science, the newest religion.'
  6. (uncountable, obsolete) Faithfulness to a given principle; conscientiousness. [16th–17th c.]

Usage notes

  • Some prefer a definition of religion that includes only theistic groups, viewing non-theistic religions as merely philosophical systems.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Dictionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb

religion (third-person singular simple present religions, present participle religioning, simple past and past participle religioned)

  1. Engage in religious practice.
    • 1978, Military Chaplains' Review, page 70:
      On the scales below, circle the one ( + ) or (-) number which best represents your situation on both the belief and practice dimensions for each of the traditional and nontraditional forms of religioning.
    • 2013, Monica R. Miller, Religion and Hip Hop, →ISBN, page 74:
      A similar caution is made by Nye when he calls for a re-evaluation of the category of religion in relationship to theory and method, suggesting that this category: be reconstructed in terms of practice theory as religious practice or religioning.
    • 2015, Alexander Horstmann, Jin-Heon Jung, Building Noah’s Ark for Migrants, Refugees, and Religious Communities, →ISBN, page 13:
      Religious practice and action (“religioning”) can be liberating, and can connect displaced people with the spirits of home.
  2. Indoctrinate into a specific religion.
    • 1890, John R. Kelso, Deity analyzed: In six lectures - Page 37
      To men whose minds are thus religioned, tied back to gods that never advance, there can never be any such word as progress
    • 2007, Janette Oke, A Bride for Donnigan, →ISBN, page 225:
      “What do you do, Donnigan? Spend all yer time religioning yer young?”
  3. To make sacred or symbolic; sanctify.
    • 1994, Timothy Morton, Shelley and the Revolution in Taste, →ISBN, page 238:
      The discussion of diet and health raises the question of the importance of discussing vegetarianism in relation to the contemporary religioning of health; as Ross remarks, 'health has replaced sexuality as the new privileged discourse of bodily truth and inner essence'.
    • 2011, Andrew O'Shea, Pedagogy, Oppression and Transformation in a 'Post-Critical' Climate, p 116
      The ideas expressed above challenge us to continuously rupture and interrupt racialized, classed, gendered, religioned and sexualized norms that inhere between and within institutions, understandings of bodies and our Selves.
    • 2013, Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip, Stephen Hunt, The Ashgate Research Companion to Contemporary Religion and Sexuality, →ISBN:
      If queer Jews, Muslims and Christians are engaged in queering their religions, they are also engaged in what might becalled 'religioning' the queer.

See also

References

Anagrams

Danish religion definition

Pronunciation

Noun

religion c (singular definite religionen, plural indefinite religioner)

  1. religion

Declension

Declension of religion
common
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative religion religionen religioner religionerne
genitive religions religionens religioners religionernes

Further reading

Esperanto religion definition

Noun

religion

  1. accusative singular of religio

French religion definition

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French religion, from Old French religion, borrowed from Latin religiōnem.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʁə.li.ʒjɔ̃/
  • Hyphenation: re‧li‧gion
  • Audio (France, Paris)(file)

Noun

religion f (plural religions)

  1. religion
    Synonyms: foi, culte, dévotion

Derived terms

See also

Further reading

Interlingua religion definition

Noun

religion (plural religiones)

  1. religion (system of belief, customs, etc.)

Ladin religion definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin religio, religionem.

Noun

religion m (plural )

  1. religion

Middle French religion definition

Etymology

From Old French religion.

Noun

religion f (plural religions)

  1. religion

Descendants

Norwegian Bokmål religion definition

Noun

religion m (definite singular religionen, indefinite plural religioner, definite plural religionene)

  1. religion

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Norwegian Nynorsk religion definition

Noun

religion m (definite singular religionen, indefinite plural religionar, definite plural religionane)

  1. religion

Derived terms

Old French religion definition

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin religiō.

Noun

religion f (oblique plural religions, nominative singular religion, nominative plural religions)

  1. religion

Related terms

Descendants

Papiamentu religion definition

Noun

religion

  1. religion

Piedmontese religion definition

Pronunciation

Noun

religion f

  1. religion

Swedish religion definition

Pronunciation

Noun

religion c

  1. religion

Declension

Declension of religion 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative religion religionen religioner religionerna
Genitive religions religionens religioners religionernas

Related terms

See also

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